Written question asked by Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Adonis (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 April 2010.

Disabled People: Mobility Scooters

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to implement the recommendations of Carriage of Mobility Scooters on Public Transport—Feasibility Study, published by the Department for Transport in 2006, to "widen the definition of reference wheelchair to include ‘mobility aids'", to issue guidance on which mobility scooters are suitable for use on public transport, and to ensure that operators should be required to transport such scooters.

Answer: The feasibility study identified areas where further work is required in order that firm policy and guidance be formulated. The study suggested that smaller and lighter mobility scooters ("class 2" devices) equipped with dry cell or gel batteries could be safely carried on public transport in the right circumstances. The Department for Transport continues to keep this matter under review. Guidance for users of public transport services Get wise to using public transport has been published by the British Healthcare Trades Association in conjunction with the Department for Transport, and can be found at: www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/tipws/getwheelchairwise/getwheelchairwiseawheelchair6l66. The guidance highlights that it may be possible for class 2 scooters to be carried but that it is a decision for the individual operator as to whether they carry mobility scooters on their services, given that the design of individual buses and levels of occupancy may impinge on what is practicable in different places. The department has also published guidance about using buses and coaches in the form of frequently asked questions for disabled passengers, which is on the department's website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/buses/frequentlyaskedquestions?page=2.

Secondary information