§ Mrs. GordonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will introduce regulations to ensure that wheelchair users and other disabled people can travel by bus. [132674]
§ Mr. HillI am pleased to announce that I have today laid before the House the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 which set technical standards for wheelchair access and a range of other features to enable disabled people to use buses and coaches.
Our Ten Year Transport Plan, Transport 2010, published last week, demonstrated our commitment to creating public transport that is accessible to disabled people. These regulations are the latest move towards achieving that goal.
Buses are at the very heart of public transport and these regulations will mean that, in future, more and more disabled people will be able to use local bus services.