Chamber and committees

Agenda item 8 is consideration of a petition. PE1866 is on introducing legislation to improve bus travel for wheelchair users.

I refer members to paper 6, which provides some background information and outlines possible options.

The petition, which was submitted by Daryl Cooper in May 2021, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce legislation to ensure that wheelchair users are able to face frontwards when travelling on a bus.

I invite views and comments from committee members on the petition and the options that have been set out in paragraph 13 of paper 6.

Once we have heard from other members, I will make a couple of suggestions.

You cannot make such a comment without explaining why that is different from CMAL’s approach to design. It is such a throwaway line that I must push you on that.

I have another question but, as I have already asked a lot, does anyone else have a question that they want to ask first? Jackie Dunbar does.

The proof will be in the pudding. Mark Ruskell has some questions.

When I read the paper, I struggled, as all committee members probably did, to understand whether there is an industry norm in how buses are laid out for wheelchair users. I do not know whether the lay-out allows them to face forwards or whether they have to face the rear or sideways. I would like to know whether there are safety implications to how buses are laid out, so it would be useful to find out more information on that.

As Monica Lennon suggested, it would be helpful to write to COSLA to find out how local authorities might wish to use their new powers under the 2019 act regarding bus service improvement partnerships. We could see whether they have any plans in that regard.

Given that the United Kingdom Government has confirmed that it will complete a review of the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 by 2023, we could write to the Department for Transport to highlight the concerns that the petitioner has raised about the rules. We could ask it to bear those concerns in mind and to be clear about whether there are regulations that relate to the issue.

Once we have that information, we could consider the petition in more depth, with more knowledge and understanding than we have at the moment.

Are members content for the clerks and me to work through that and for us to come back to the committee in due course?

Members indicated agreement.

That will be useful. I thank the petitioner for bringing the issue to our attention.

That concludes the public part of the meeting.

Gordon, you commented on freight. It is interesting that, in the peak period over the summer, getting lorries on and off at the required times to meet deadlines is difficult when there is an influx of passengers. Is there scope to look at providing a freight service within the existing service to provide relief at peak times on key routes?

Helen, do you want to add anything to that?

The next questions will come from Liam Kerr.