Those who thought that the PSVAR review would lead to meaningful change will be disappointed after reading the accompanying call for evidence, which was published by the Department for Transport (DfT) in mid-June.
It brings little to the table apart from a ‘going through the motions’ feel. While DfT nobly accepts that a fresh look is needed over two decades after the Regulations appeared, the call for evidence’s loosely worded questions do little to inspire confidence that much will materialise.
Perhaps most disappointing is the lip service being paid to the influence of roadside infrastructure on accessibility. A compliant vehicle is no use where the stopping place prevents it from deploying access aids.
Such a point has been laboured repeatedly. But it occupies a small part of the call for evidence, much to the chagrin of one trade body. RHA has even called the review’s underlying rationale ‘flawed’ in an unusually blunt rebuke of the Department.
DfT’s dismissal of infrastructure as the responsibility of Somebody Else is notable. The PSVAR review call for evidence includes a graph that shows how boarding or alighting the vehicle is the most common difficulty faced by users of mobility aids. That is according to a study commissioned in 2021 by none other than DfT.
Word of the PSVAR review brought hope that the Regulations could be reformed to benefit both the coach and bus industry and its customers. Publication of the call for evidence shows that is unlikely to be delivered. It is a missed opportunity and one that will be difficult to undo.
Read the call for evidence here.
