§ Lord Greavesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether a ban on four-wheel motability scooters on trains has recently been introduced or otherwise exists; and, if so, what are the reasons for such a ban. [HL4511]
§ Lord Davies of OldhamThe decision on whether to carry scooters on trains is a matter for individual train operating companies (TOCs). There is no legislation that either prohibits them from carrying scooters or requires them to do so.
There is a wide and growing range of scooter models available, each with its own capabilities and characteristics. However, scooters are generally not considered to be suitable for carriage on public transport, including trains because of concerns over size, weight, manoeuvrability and stability. Both the Department for Transport and the Department of Health have published guides explaining this. These are available in the Library.
123WAWe believe that operators are best placed to decide whether to carry scooters, according to the rolling stock they use and the local operating environment. The majority of TOCs will not carry them. Both the Government and TOCs are aware, however, that smaller, lighter, more manoeuvrable models are now available. In light of this, some train companies have been re-examining their current policies, with some relaxing their complete bans and permitting the carriage of smaller models.
Officials recently observed a trial by South West Trains, during which a range of scooter models attempted to board and park safely on the different types of train that SWT uses. The results showed the difficulty of having a single policy, and confirmed that TOCs are best placed to decide their own procedures, according to their own particular operation.
Individual companies' policy should be available as part of their disabled persons' protection policies, 124WA which they are required to produce by the Strategic Rail Authority. Copies of these policies are available from stations or from the TOCs' websites.