SATA News
No 3. January 2010
Newsletter of the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance
Contents
Editorial
Greetings for the start of 2010 and welcome to the third edition of SATA News.
It is hard to predict what will happen during the next 12 months but it is bound to be busy, with our four regular meetings and much communication between us in between. We now have our Business Plan agreed and we have to make sure we carry it out. Building up our membership is at the core of it - more in number and increasingly active on transport issues. There are still masses of improvements out there to work on to make the transport network more accessible and disabled people more mobile.
SATA's Management Sub Groups
The Management Committee has re-formed its Sub Groups - the same number and remits but with new leaders and Douglas Gilroy co-ordinating them. They are now open to any member to apply to join and we very much hope people will come forward. Most correspondence will be done by email.
The six groups will cover the following: Air travel; Bus & Coach travel; Sea & Ferry travel; Rail travel; Car and CT/DRT travel: Policy and information.
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Scottish Parliament : Cross Party Group on Disability
The meeting of the Cross Party Group on Disability at 5.30 on Wednesday 3rd March 2010 will highlight transport issues, including concessionary fares and the regulation of taxis under the DDA. SATA has been asked to facilitate the discussion. Will anyone wishing to attend please contact the Secretary, Kate Sanford at Quarriers, Tel 01505 616134 or email
Marie.Redden@quarriers.org.ukBack to top
SATA's Manifesto 2010
We have made a few changes to the Manifesto which we produced last year. It is intended to circulate it as widely as possible: especially relevant with an early UK election coming up. If you can help please let us know. A copy is on our website under Publications.
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Equality Bill: Public Sector Equality Duty Specific Duties
The Scottish Government consulted on what specific duties it might place on public authorities in Scotland to assist them in delivering on the general Equality Duty in the UK Government's Equality Bill. The Equality and Human Rights Commission held a consultation event in Glasgow on 6th November.
SATA responded by the due date of 15th January 2010 having consulted members and the text will be posted on our website. The consultation document can be viewed online at
www.scotland.gov.uk/consultation
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Taxis and the DDA
The Department for Transport (DfT) issued a consultation in February 2009 entitled 'Consultation on Improving Access to Taxis' with a closing date of 24 April 2009. SATA responded to that consultation and it is on our website under Publications.
In August DFT published the responses and this was followed by a Ministerial statement in October saying that there was little support for regulations in respect of what an accessible vehicle should be. Further Best Practice Guidance would now be issued to local licensing authorities and three separate demonstration schemes or trials would be run to explore how better to tailor taxi provision to demand to ensure that the needs of disabled people are effectively met. The Guidance and news about these schemes are still awaited.
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Level Crossings
Transport Scotland held a conference in Edinburgh on 19th January to explore the issues surrounding the design, maintenance and use of railway level crossings through enhancing understanding of the roles and responsibilitites of rail and road agencies, notably Network Rail, the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) and local authorities. There are 7500 crossings of various types in the UK, 650 in Scotland, and efforts are being made to reduce the number with no new crossings being permitted. Accidents at crossings are relatively rare and 95% are caused by user behaviour (usually local residents). But they are often serious and get high media coverage. Measures to improve safety are focused on the 4 'e's: Education, Enforcement, Enablement and Engineering. Legislation also needs to be updated and simplified.
No specific issues regarding use by disabled people were raised but the need for adequate visual and audio signage was recognised. If any SATA members have concerns will they please get in touch.
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SATA Meetings
Our next meeting will be for members only and is from 1.30 to 3.30 pm on Thursday 11th February at the Forth Valley Sensory Centre, Camelon, Falkirk.
The main item will be a discussion on taxis licensing with a presentation from the Inverclyde Council on Disability.
The dates for the following meetings are as follows:
13th May at SPT in Glasgow
16th September at Perth & Kinross Council, Perth
11th November at RNIB, Edinburgh (venue provisional)
The May and November meetings will be open to non-members and please take this opportunity to bring people along, especially if they may be interested in joining. The September meeting will be our AGM.
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Easy Fundraising for SATA
As mentioned in our last SATA News, a link to
www.easyfundraising.org.uk has been set up by Tom Porter on our website and allows to you shop on line to the benefit of SATA. Some members have already registered and used the site. We hope many others will follow.
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Share your news
Please share your news with us or provide a link to where people can access the latest information about developments in your area. Send it by post or email to:
Alan Rees MBE
Secretary
SATA
20 Seaforth Drive
Edinburgh EH4 2BZ
Tel. 0131 315 3006
Email: at.rees@sol.co.uk
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