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Chapter 6: Promoting Accessibility

Increasing accessibility to transport was seen almost entirely in terms of increased public transport provision, with many respondents referring primarily to buses (the type of transport most likely to be available to respondents). However, while respondents focused on a need for increased travel provision, many had very limited or no actual experience of using public transport. As such, many views expressed were based on perceptions of public transport offerings. This chapter examines the range of issues emerging in relation to accessibility specifically and the following chapter examines how to promote choice.

Across all the discussions, there was a general lack of satisfaction with many aspects of current public transport provision, although most respondents also noted a need to encourage increased usage. This was primarily to allow individuals to travel where they wanted, when they wanted. There were also a small number of comments about benefits to the tourism sector if public transport was further developed.

Most respondents focused primarily on buses and saw this as the most dominant form of travel available in Scotland. Fewer respondents had used trains recently or used them on a regular basis, particularly those in more rural areas, many of which did not have a local train service. Very few respondents commented on a need to encourage more cycling or walking on the part of the general public and this was primarily attributed to the short distances that tend to be covered by either of these modes of travel. Many respondents suggested a return to "the good old days" where it is perceived that public transport used to be far better, cleaner, more frequent and offering better service levels.

A number of key issues emerged in relation to the current provision of public transport and these were as follows:

• Regularity / frequency of service
• Cost
• Information on services
• Cleanliness / standard of public transport
• Image
• Service standards
• Co-ordination between different modes of travel / lack of infrastructure
• Awareness of full range of transport options available

6.1 Regularity and Frequency of Public Transport

Many respondents noted that much public transport provision tends to be irregular and infrequent. While this was a particular issue for those living in the more rural areas, it was not exclusive to these areas. Respondents in Edinburgh noted,

"Well, depending on where you are in Edinburgh, the bus services can be quite good but they're not good everywhere. Trying to get across from one side of town to the other can mean you have to take more than one bus and it's often quicker and more convenient to drive."
45-59, female, urban

"And it shouldnae just be folk that's all in the city centre, like everything coming into the city centre. That's fine but what about the people that don't live in the city centre or don't live within walking distance of it, it's unfair for them to have to get two buses you know."
Minority Ethnic, urban

There tended to be a perception from those living in rural areas that major urban areas in particular are well served by bus networks, although some respondents in urban areas did not share this view. Even respondents attending a group in Dundee noted that the quality and frequency of public transport in Edinburgh and Glasgow were better than in Dundee, although most did not have any actual experience of using public transport in Edinburgh or Glasgow. There were particular comments from respondents in rural areas in relation to late night bus services. One respondent in Nairn noted,

"I think there's one late bus. if I wanted to go for a night out in Inverness, say, and come home, the only option you have is the taxi!"
22-40, female, rural

Another respondent at the same group commented,

"My friend goes down to Edinburgh and she gets a bus home at two, three in the morning! I can't believe it! It's great when we go down there, because we don't have to keep all this money back for taxis at night. Because it keeps people safe as well - you know, it's not all about comfort; it's about safety at the end of the day. And then I lived in Glasgow - I just moved back up last year - and it was fantastic, the public transport there."
22-40, female, rural

Some respondents perceived that bus companies are only prepared to provide services in areas where they can make a profit and that a lack of potential (and actual) passengers in rural areas means that services offered are only very restricted. As well as this perceived lack of services in some rural areas, there were also comments that some areas with high proportions of deprivation were restricted in the services available to them. A few respondents felt that services had been terminated because of anti-social behaviour in specific areas.

"If that's not a route that's paying well they just take the buses off. And if you're in an area where there's a lot of problems, maybe gangs and things like that, you can't get a bus after 6 o'clock at night. People are prisoners in these areas and they are asking us not to use cars!"
60-70, male & female, elderly, urban

The respondents attending this group in Glasgow also felt that deregulation had led to a situation where bus companies competed to provide a comprehensive service on the most lucrative routes, with other routes being poorly served as a result. While there was an acknowledgement for bus companies to make a profit, there were some calls for greater subsidies to be paid to bus companies to enable them to better meet the needs of transport users. This, combined with a lack of co-ordination between different modes of travel, was seen to serve to further reduce options available to people. Most respondents who mentioned de-regulation or privatisation saw the solution as being a move back to regulation and nationalisation, with this being particularly common among older respondents where there was the general perception that buses in Glasgow were better under the Glasgow Corporation service.

"I mean we've been through the deregulation, privatisation scenario - well, where we are now? Maybe it's time now to say, 'right. We've gone far enough with this experiment. Perhaps we do need some regulation back in..."
Visual impairment, urban

Some respondents also noted the negative impact that a lack of available public transport can have on access to employment opportunities. For those without access to a car - and higher proportions of these live in rural areas - there can be problems in taking on particular employment. This was seen to have a big impact in terms of life choices:

"If you wanted to start a job at half-past seven in the morning, there's no buses going through!"
Low income, male & female, 41-65, rural

"I mean I've went for a few jobs and it's just been impossible to get transport [to them], you know?"
Low income, male & female, 41-65, rural

"If you don't have your own transport you can't do most of the jobs because they want you to work Sundays and there's no transport on Sundays."
35-49, general public, rural

Many respondents felt unhappy about the general service on buses in particular, as noted by the following respondent:

"It's supposed to be a bus service, [but] when does service come into it? If you are supposed to be serving the public you run your buses to suit the public, you don't run the buses to suit your drivers, to suit your timetable and to suit your budget."
60-70, male & female, elderly, urban

It was mentioned several times, more so in rural areas, that trust is lost in the bus service provided due to buses not turning up on schedule.

"A friend came last night and she tried to catch the bus. It was scheduled for 6.55 which never turned up so I had to drive her all the way to Fort William."
35-49, general public, rural

One respondent suggested that larger buses should use main routes, and smaller buses the secondary routes.

"You could have the main buses run on the main roads then and the wee ones going through, but to have double-deckers going up the traffic-calmed streets!"
Hearing impairment, urban

A number of respondents noted that the re-opening of old railway lines would serve to reduce accessibility issues, although train regularity and frequency was perceived to be less of a problem than with the buses.

"Trains are all right. Put more on though, more running, more frequency o' services.

I find the trains quite good, they're quite regular cos if I need to go to Stirling they come pretty much every half an hour, no problem there".
22-40, male & female, low income, urban

Many disabled respondents commented that the basic infrastructure that would allow them to travel easily was not in place. Occasionally this was in relation to buses, but it was also the case with taxis (a particularly important form of travel for those in wheelchairs), with the desire of taxi companies to provide suitable transport being questioned:

"Taxi drivers refuse to provide wheelchair accessible vehicles".
Mobility Impairment, urban

6.2 Cost of Public Transport

A key issue in terms of accessibility was the cost of transport and this was in relation to both bus and train fares. Some respondents with a choice of using either buses or trains noted that trains tended to be more expensive. For some respondents, there was a perception that privatisation and de-regulation have allowed companies to maximise their profits on busy routes. While most respondents accepted that private companies need to make profit in order to continue with the services available, the cost was felt to be a prohibitor to use of trains by many respondents.

"My daughter travels by train to Edinburgh every day and the fare is too high for her; she spends most of her wages on the travelling expenses."
Minority ethnic, urban

As the following quotation illustrates, the cost of public transport was a key issue for some women, particularly younger mothers with a low income.

"The other thing is, like I know you've got three children. I've actually got four. It is cheaper to take my car through to Inverness and pay the petrol than I am for all of us to go by bus and also more hassle. The kids would like the bus, because it's an adventure for them."
22-40, female, rural

Some respondents also compared the relative costs of travelling by air. Air travel has increased in recent years and many respondents noted the cheap flights that are available on many routes, particularly some domestic routes. Some respondents noted that their use of air as a mode of travel has increased because of the relative cheapness of air tickets. Trains, on the other hand, were perceived to have increased in price. One respondent attending a group in Dundee noted that it is possible to obtain cheap train fares but that restrictions on when and where these can be used, serve to limit their usefulness further. Another respondent noted that the cost of travelling to London by train was far more expensive that an equivalent flight to London.

There was also an acknowledgment from some that air travel should be discouraged on the basis of environmental grounds. There was a perception of a contradiction between the relative low costs of air travel which - in effect - encourage travel by air and a transport policy aimed at reducing air travel.

There were also comments from some respondents about inconsistency in the price of travel. Some respondents were aware that it is possible to travel more cheaply on some routes - primarily those between major cities - but that this is not the case across Scotland, as noted by the following respondent referring to bus prices.

"I don't understand how they work out what it all costs. It seems crazy that I can get to Glasgow which is a far distance for £2.50 but I have to pay more than that to get into Aberdeen which is only 15 miles down the road."
18-21, female, rural

During the course of the discussions, a number of respondents noted the importance of offering free or concessionary travel to certain groups of transport users. While there was not universal agreement over which types of people should qualify for free travel, there was general agreement that some groups should be offered free travel.

There were a variety of cost issues mentioned by disabled respondents or their carers. Most welcomed the opportunity for free bus travel that many had, but one respondent disagreed, feeling that this stigmatised disabled people and that they should be treated similarly to anyone else in terms of paying for public transport.

One visually impaired respondent questioned why visually impaired individuals were automatically given certain benefits which were then not available to other disabled people, saying she knows someone:

"with learning difficulties whose family don't want him wandering around at night and he can't have one [ a bus pass or free taxi rides]. He needs it more than me."
Visual impairment, urban

In general, the Scotland-wide free bus scheme rolled out in April 2006 for older and disabled people was welcomed, although not all were aware of this. However, many of those who welcomed free bus travel questioned why train travel was also not free. It was felt by some that older people who no longer work, have greater opportunities for increased use of public transport due to the time available to them. There was a lack of detailed knowledge of the Thistle card scheme specifically, although some disabled respondents did suggest it was difficult to get the card and key issues noted were collecting the necessary application information or getting a photo taken. In addition, one blind respondent said that the card was not clear enough and, as a result, they occasionally needed to tell transport staff that they were blind, with this putting them in a position of vulnerability as other individuals could overhear this.

6.3 Information on Services

Many respondents noted a lack of ready information and requested more and better information about public transport. Some respondents who use buses regularly noted that it can be difficult to track down timetables and that these are not available at all bus stops. Additionally, most respondents noted that it can be difficult to access information via other means.

"If there is one thing that is really shocking is timetables! You cannot get timetables for the love of..."
Low income, male & female, 41-65, rural

While all respondents commented on a lack of available information, this was a particular issue for many disabled respondents. Those with visual and/ or hearing impairments referred to the potential difficulty of having to rely on either only visual or audio information. Respondents participating in discussions noted that incorrect information can serve to mislead individuals and undermine faith in the public transport network. As one visually impaired respondent noted,

"One of our friends was carried off into a railway siding late at night… because no one appeared to meet her and she didn't get off."
Visual impairment, urban

Computerised announcements were generally felt to be helpful by blind respondents, but it was noted that when these malfunctioned it could cause confusion and make matters worse. In addition, those with visual impairment often found it difficult travelling by train as they were often unaware of when a guard on trains - rather than an ordinary passenger - was passing, and hence found it awkward to ask for advice or information. An auditory system used at Buchanan Street bus station in Glasgow was welcomed by blind respondents on two separate occasions.

"So, if I'm entering Buchanan street bus station, this [fob] will trigger off an automated announcement which will give me information as to what entrance I'm coming in, what way to go to get to assistance points etc."
Visual impairment, urban

Perhaps not surprisingly, those from a visible Ethnic Minority background referred to a need for information to be provided in a number of different languages, with one respondent seeing this as a necessary consequence of Scotland's status as a multi-cultural society. In particular, it was felt that provision of information in a variety of languages would be beneficial to older respondents with less/ no English.

"The new generation is ok, but see the old one, they still need - they feel they can understand more if they read themselves in their own language."
Minority ethnic, urban

On whether it was felt there are any language barriers when trying to access information on public transport, one respondent in Edinburgh noted,

"Yes there is because sometimes you can't understand them or they can't understand you and you're thinking you know, this is just not working."
Minority ethnic, urban

One respondent attending a group in Edinburgh and who was a frequent user of public transport, noted that she could obtain information on local services fairly readily by accessing an online information helpline but that when she had wanted to travel through to Glasgow, she had found it very difficult to access information to enable her to plan her journey.

There were also a small number of comments that information can often be obtained by going online but that a lack of access to computers can serve to further isolate some individuals whose need to use public transport is likely to be greatest. This was also an issue raised by a visually impaired person who noted,

"It is okay saying a computer, but some of us still don't have computers and don't use the net so there needs to be plenty of information on the phone for people. The numbers being readily available so that you can get information from other buses, trains etc."
Visual impairment, urban

While a lack of information was a criticism generally levelled at public transport, a lack of real time information was also noted by some respondents.

Some respondents attending groups in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee were aware that some bus and train providers offer real time information. This was perceived to be an essential element of a National Transport Strategy. This was an important issue given the complaints about a lack of regularity and frequency of services. Where people had experience of using real time information, they praised this element of the service and suggested an extension of this across Scotland as a whole.

6.4 Cleanliness / Standard on Public Transport

Across all the group discussions and interviews, comments were made regarding the way in which some public transport is not inviting to users. While these comments were made largely in relation to bus travel, some respondents also noted that at times this could also apply to train services, although these were recognised to have improved by some.

"There are trains here as well - the new ones - I'm surprised, it was the last time I went into town, about two weeks ago, and it was a new train, very very comfortable seat"
Minority ethnic, urban

Most bus companies came in for criticism over a lack of cleanliness and / or a dilapidated appearance of some vehicles. Some respondents noted that they would not choose to use buses because they are often not well looked after. Graffiti, cigarette butts, torn seats, and so on all contribute to an uninviting form of transport. The use of older buses was also questioned by some respondents on environmental grounds, due to vehicle emissions. While a small number of respondents were critical of the state of some trains on local routes, this was not generally considered to be an issue with mainline routes.

6.5 Service Standards

Alongside a lack of cleanliness, some bus companies were criticised for a lack of service standards shown by staff. While a poor attitude on the part of bus drivers was only occasional, this does serve to impede usage. The perception of poor service also crossed the various groups we spoke to:

• Some elderly respondents felt that bus drivers could be insolent and rude;
• Some young men aged 15-17 and women aged 18-21 felt that bus drivers treated them with disrespect and rudeness;
• Some mothers commented that they had felt unwelcome on public transport when travelling with a pram;
• Some LGBT respondents noted occasions when bus staff had been unhelpful and deliberately rude with this relating to their being visually identifiable as LGBT;
• Some disabled individuals also noted rudeness towards them when accessing public transport.

One young mother travelling with a pram noted,

"The bus driver looks at you! 'Where do you think you're going with that, ma'am?"
22-40, female, rural

Not only was the attitude of some staff criticised but also their lack of willingness to provide information or their apparent lack of understanding of some information. For example, one disabled respondent noted a lack of awareness of disabled concessions, with others noting a general lack of assistance.

"Not all the bus drivers, unfortunately, are aware of the companion and you get charged something different every time you go on and they look at you quite blankly, so they obviously need to be trained better."
22-40, female, rural

"An ordinary bus driver's not going to stop and fold down a ramp for you to get on and off the bus?"
Mobility impairment, urban

One deaf respondent commented on the difficulty in paying fares on the bus.

"I have no idea what the fares are, they don't give you change and I go to a bus and I'm going to there and they say something at me - I haven't a clue what it is - and I put my money in the machine in the hope that it's enough. I get no change and then I get a ticket saying 'fifty pence' and I've just put £2 in!"
Hearing impairment, urban

While it was buses that came in for most criticism, the same disabled respondent had found that staff on airplanes did not always provide written information but relied solely on verbal communication.

"They could be saying, 'put your lifebelts on!' I'd be sitting there [thinking] 'what's coming on the telly?"
Hearing impairment, urban

While this section of the chapter has focused on negative aspects of service delivery on the part of public transport providers, it should be stressed that some respondents did spontaneously mention good experiences they had had travelling on public transport. However, it was clear from discussions that the negative experiences had considerably more impact on perceptions of public transport provision. One respondent spoke positively about the good levels of service her nephew (with learning difficulties) generally received when he used public transport; another respondent commented on a bus driver who stopped their bus on Princes Street when she got off and helped her across the road.

"Most people are really really good and in fact I am always amazed at how good people who have had no training at all are. They really really are. I am amazed… they know nothing about me and I am sure I wouldn't be that helpful."
Visual impairment, urban

The need for training on disability issues was mentioned by many disabled respondents, although at least one individual wanted this to go further.

"There really needs to be a policy built in to all the transport systems where [disability] awareness is built in to the psyche…

I would go slightly further than that if at all possible. I would say some consideration should be given to establishing some system of qualification."
Blind and Mobility impairment, urban

That said, a small number of respondents felt that drivers had a very difficult job with lots or pressure:

I think they're very stressed. We've got to remember these drivers are very stressed and they need therapy."
22-40, male & female, low income, urban

A major issue for many respondents, whether disabled or not, was the lack of access for more than one wheelchair user or pram at any one time on many buses. This was felt to adversely penalise disabled people, especially if multiple wheelchair users wanted to travel together by public bus. It was accepted that it would not be possible to have large numbers of wheelchair or pram spaces, with respondents tending to feel that two would be acceptable. Some respondents attending a group in Dundee had a perception that those on concessionary fares and/ or with wheelchairs or prams were given less of a priority during rush hour and would be refused admittance on busy services.

In addition, visually impaired respondents felt that there was a lack of standardisation in bus design which made it very difficult for them to find their way around. While it was not felt possible to ensure that all buses had exactly the same layout, it was felt that some basic standardisation would be beneficial.

"They [buses] are all different. Some of them have seats right by the door. Some of them you have to wander your way up the bus. Some of them have a hand rail you can hold onto. Others you don't know where the hand rail is, so there might not be one."
Visual impairment, urban

Access in airports was a particular issue for some disabled respondents.

"One thing we have difficulty with is when you arrive at the airport, there is no sort of designated place or person to go to. So you have to rely on the good will of your taxi driver to take you in, which is not his job and it often means him leaving his taxi in an no parking area and he is very anxious about that naturally. And they will take you in and look around for some member of staff and if we are lucky they find one wandering about and from there you are alright, or they will take you to the nearest information point."
Visual impairment, urban

6.6 The Image of Public Transport Providers

During the course of the discussions, it became apparent that the image of different types of public transport varies. These views were often based on perceptions and not actual experience but, nonetheless, they are important factor contributing to views on public transport.

In general, within Edinburgh, buses were seen as an acceptable form of transport for most potential users. However, elsewhere many respondents noted that buses tend to have a "downmarket" image that can be offputting to some potential bus users. Respondents could not really ascertain how these perceptions have developed over time or what to do to change them. However, there was a perception that while commuters in Scotland are much more likely to choose to use the train or drive to work, in London it is more acceptable to use the bus as a means of travel (in addition to the Tube or trains).

Across the groups as a whole, trains were seen to appeal to a more "upmarket" segment of the population, with commuters being more likely to choose this form of travel if available. There were some suggestions that these perceptions linked into the standards of service and levels of cleanliness offered by different forms of transport. The following is a conversation between 2 respondents attending a Dundee group.

"I think the buses up here are horrible and most people wouldn't choose to use them unless they have to. Some of the more rural ones are better - although they buses aren't necessarily in better condition, they don't go through horrible areas where they could be picking up passengers who are frightening."

"Yes but in Edinburgh, you get all sorts of people using the buses and lots of commuters. I don't really know why that is, except it is. I think maybe the buses are in a better condition in Edinburgh and there seem to be a lot more new buses on the road."
45-59, male & female, general public, urban

6.7 Co-Ordination between Different Modes of Travel / the Need for an Infrastructure

While most respondents did not comment from a strategic viewpoint on the transport infrastructure, some comments did nonetheless point to a need for improvements to this. In general, comments were that there needed to be more public transport available across all areas of Scotland and that there needed to be a much greater degree of co-ordination between different forms of public transport.

While most of the focus was on buses and trains, there were also comments in relation to a wide range of road management issues such as the availability of bus lanes and cycle lanes.

Basic cycle lane infrastructure was felt to be underdeveloped both within urban and rural conurbations. One respondent also noted that German motorways have cycle lanes, although there was some debate over whether motorway cycle lanes were safe.

In addition, those using wheelchairs tended to depend a lot on taxis (due to impracticalities and / or a lack of access in using other forms of public transport) and felt that there were considerable issues over lack of accessibility, with no stringent regulations being enacted or enforced, and certain drivers being unhappy at being required to use the necessary ramps.

There were comments from some visually impaired respondents that it can be difficult to identify bus stops.

"You know there's no buses to link into the trains or anything so somebody needs to link all the transport together."
60-70, male & female, urban

One issue that was mentioned in more than one discussion was the perceived lack of a quick link from urban centres to nearby airports:

"I think one of the most glaring sort of admissions for me in terms of public transport is, that there is no real link to the airport".
LGBT, urban

6.8 Awareness of Full Range of Transport Options Available

Most respondents initially felt that they had a good understanding of the different transport options that were open to them as potential travellers. However, on a number of occasions, participants then heard someone else in the group mention a particular scheme that they had not heard of previously. These tended to be relatively small-scale community initiatives aimed at particular segments of the population rather than mass transit options.

For example, at one group in Ellon, one respondent was aware of a local dial-a-bus service for residents in outlying rural areas. This service could be accessed by a telephone call where an individual could then book themselves onto a bus service into Aberdeen and then return to Ellon a few hours later. However, no other respondents were aware of this service. In Edinburgh, one respondent mentioned the museum bus which is a circular service between museums.

In general, once prompted with information on these community initiatives, they were welcomed and considered positively. Any respondents who had accessed a local service like this also tended to be positive about the service in general, the bus drivers and the condition of the buses.

6.9 Allied Issues

Road quality was not mentioned as a general issue by many respondents, although some were very negative about it.

"The road system in Scotland is an utter disgrace. You'll not go anywhere in the British Isles and get roads like you get in Scotland. They're terrible."
60-70, male & female, elderly, urban

Respondents in the North of Scotland (and some elsewhere) were very critical of the lack of improvements to the A9. While it was accepted that the geography of Scotland is such that in some instances relatively long journeys have to be made to accomplish relatively short distances, respondents were critical of many of the roads. This, in turn, was seen to impact negatively on tourism and economic development.

Finally, while respondents focused primarily on public transport, there we also some references to other public services that sit alongside public transport. For example, two respondents attending a group in Ellon who lived outwith Ellon noted that an increase in public transport in isolation would not encourage them to use this more often as there was also an allied need for better street lighting and pavements for pedestrians to use.

In summary,

• The issue of accessibility to public transport was perceived to be a priority for the NTS, although there were concerns over how transport providers will be persuaded to increase available services.
• A number of issues were identified as impacting on accessibility of public transport and these included:
  
  The regularity and frequency of service
  The cost of using public transport
  The availability of information per se and real time information
  A lack of cleanliness
  The image of public transport
  Service standards
  Lack of co-ordination between different services
  Lack of infrastructure to support different services
  Lack of awareness of the full range of transport options available .

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