Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure bus operators enforce designated wheelchair spaces on local public transport routes.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) require buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local and scheduled services to incorporate features to support disabled people to travel safely and in reasonable comfort. This includes provision of a wheelchair space and lift or ramp suitable for a passenger using a standard “reference wheelchair”.

We know that wheelchair users are sometimes unable to board a bus because the statutory wheelchair space is already occupied, and we welcome efforts by operators to relieve pressure on it, including through dedicated announcements and signage, the provision of taxi guarantee schemes, and by incorporating a second wheelchair space into vehicle designs.

Through the Bus Services Act 2025 we are also ensuring that bus drivers have the knowledge and skills to support disabled passengers, by requiring them to complete both disability awareness and assistance training.