Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her department is taking to ensure that the cost of public transport is affordable for people with disabilities who require assistance when travelling.

This Government is determined to make sure that disabled people have the same access to transport as everyone else, and that they are able to travel easily, confidently, and without extra cost.

In 2017/18 the Government provided around £1 billion of funding to enable local authorities in England to provide statutory and discretionary concessions for 9.8 million disabled and older travel pass holders. The Government has committed to maintaining this concession. Concessionary bus travel is a devolved policy area so the legislative and administrative arrangements differ throughout the UK, and local authorities are also able to offer additional concessions, such as companion passes for disabled people who require assistance to travel.

The Disabled Persons Railcard allows disabled people to get one third off their rail fares. The Government made a commitment in the Inclusive Transport Strategy that it would work with the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee to review the eligibility criteria for it.

In 2019, the Department will launch a major public awareness campaign, which, among other things, will seek to increase awareness and take up of these and other forms of assistance for disabled passengers.