Member Article

Prospective Conservative MP for Bath Meets with Trapeze

Ben Howlett, prospective Conservative MP for Bath, has met with leading transport technology provider Trapeze Group to discuss the public transport accessibility issues currently faced by visually impaired passengers.

During the meeting Trapeze representatives Paul Everson and Darren Turpin raised the question over whether more could be done across the UK to cater for blind and partially-sighted passengers who face heightened challenges in navigating bus networks.

According to the RNIB’s ‘My Voice’ survey (2015)*, 40% of blind and partially-sighted people have been unable to make the journeys that they wanted or needed to make, due to problems associated with using public transport. Specifically, three in ten visually impaired citizens have been unable to travel by bus owing to a lack of accessibility.

This issue has again been brought under the spotlight following the announcement of the Government’s new Bus Services Bill, which seeks to empower local transport authorities with a range of tools to improve bus services in their area. In an amendment brought forward in autumn 2016, the Secretary of State imposed regulations requiring all local service operators to provide accessible information on board their services.

Citing The Group’s recent work with Gloucestershire County Council as an example, Trapeze discussed the role that technology can play in making public transport more accessible for visually impaired passengers; specifically how talking apps can help users to locate bus stops, identify upcoming departures and alight at the required destination.

Paul Everson, Product Manager at Trapeze Group, said: “The new Bus Services Bill is a step in the right direction towards ensuring bus services are accessible to all sections of society, and we believe this can serve as a great starting point for enhancing public transport for passengers with special requirements.

“Meeting with Ben presented us with a great opportunity to open up a dialogue on current accessibility issues. He was incredibly receptive to our views and expressed a great deal of interest in how technology could be leveraged to deliver a fully inclusive service, particularly for blind and partially-sighted users.”

Ben has frequently spoken on the importance of continued investment in bus projects and infrastructure within the Bath region, and has recently given his support to the Bus Services Bill’s second reading in the House of Commons.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Trapeze Group UK .