The Government has announced it will introduce a £2.5m package to support disabled people travel more confidently on the rail network.
The 1,000th accessibility audit has also been conducted at Oban station in Scotland as part of the Government’s Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.
This forms part of the Government’s commitment to audit all of the 2,565 rail stations in Great Britain.
The audits will help produce a public database allowing people to better plan their journeys before they travel.
As part of the funding £1.5m will be allocated to support all 13 Mobility Centres in England introduce a ‘Hubs Mobility Service’.
These services help people stay mobile after they have been advised to stop driving and offer them alternative ways to travel.
Over the past 2 years the hubs have been successfully piloted at seven of the centres helping over 4,000 people regain the confidence to travel.
The benefits of staying mobile were recently emphasised in the Government’s Inclusive Transport Strategy.
The Strategy sets out the link between decreased mobility and access to transport with social isolation and loneliness.
Accessibility Minister Wendy Morton met with people set to benefit from the investment at the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation (QEF) for Disabled People’s Mobility Centre.
Speaking on the investment the Minister said: “This funding will help people travel with confidence and comes just in time as our nation rebuilds from Covid-19.
“We want to help everyone to be mobile.
“These vital Hubs Mobility Services will provide life-changing travel advice, keeping people connected to their friends, work and support networks.
“I was delighted to meet people benefitting from this service and to hear about the difference this important work has made to their lives.”
