5 Big Ideas to Make Transport Accessible for Disabled People

🚦 Recommendations and ideas from the Sustrans Transforming Mobility Report (July 2025)

A recent report from Sustrans and Transport for All has developed 5 big ideas in how to better include and involve disabled people in transport planning.

Difference North East recently took part in a Teesside active travel consultation response. You can see our recommendations here: TVCA active travel proposals – Difference NE response

We have made some recommendations to the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) about how they can establish an Access Panel or Transport Forum across the Tees area, and we look forward to continuing these discussions.

We have reproduced the Transforming Mobility big ideas below. BSL, easy read, and text-only summaries can be downloaded or viewed on the Sustrans website:

https://www.sustrans.org.uk/transforming-mobility/

🚲 Idea 1: Balance street space

Local authorities should balance the use of street space for walking and wheeling, cycling, public transport, cars, and social activities. They should do this by implementing Streetspace Allocation Frameworks alongside Traffic Circulation Plans.

A Streetspace Allocation Framework maps viable, safe and attractive networks. They do this for different types of transport across a town, city, or region. It separates the primary routes for each type between different streets to reduce conflict, while at the same time making sure that they integrate with one another.

Streetspace Allocation Frameworks should increase space for walking and wheeling, cycling, bus and tram networks. This will have the impact of improving access, reliability, and safety for users. To do so, space must be taken away on some streets from cars whilst preserving access. Access is especially needed for disabled people who are dependent on a vehicle. One successful approach to this is to implement circulation plans, which seek to reduce through-traffic across central areas of cities or towns.

65% of disabled people support local councils developing a framework for how streets should be used for different types of transport to have their own dedicated networks and avoid conflict. 58% of disabled people support taking steps to decrease car use across urban areas to reduce congestion, speed up buses, and make places more pleasant to walk, wheel and cycle in.

🏙️ Idea 2: Make it easier to walk, wheel or cycle to the bus, train, or tram

Local authorities should develop networks of mobility hubs that connect walking, wheeling, and cycling with buses, trains, and trams. They should also provide places for communities to play and socialise. A mobility hub is a place where different types of transport come together. This increases transport choice and makes journeys more convenient and seamless for people. For example, a bus stop next to a train station with cycle parking along a cycle route.

Mobility hubs should also aim to improve the public space and provide other services. An example of such services would be publicly available toilets and a café. Mobility hubs should be accessible and consider the needs of disabled people. They should be located where people come together and lots of trips start or end. These locations might include hospitals, local high streets, universities, and shopping centres. The hubs should also be a short walk or wheel from where most people live. 81% of disabled people support providing a better experience when changing between different types of transport.

🚸 Idea 3: Prioritise people crossing side roads

Governments should give local authorities the power to roll out side road zebra crossings across the UK. The Highway Code changed in 2022 to give people crossing or waiting to cross priority over people driving and cycling turning into or out of a side road in England, Scotland, and Wales. However, no evidence exists to suggest this has changed behaviour. Further, people still need to wait for vehicles or take their chances crossing. Side road zebra crossings are a cheap, quick solution that give people waiting to cross side roads priority over cars and cycles. It’s like a zebra crossing with painted white zebra stripes across a junction, but without the flashing lights and zigzag approach markings.

This makes them cheap and quick to implement at side-road junctions. Side road crossings are used in many countries across Europe. Where tested in the UK, they led to 65% more drivers giving way and gave people, especially disabled people, the priority and space they need to cross. 72% of disabled people support giving greater priority and investments for low-cost solutions, such as side road crossings or step-free access when crossing roads.

🅿️ Idea 4: Manage parking to free up public space

Local authorities should take steps to reduce car parking to free up public space and declutter pavements. Reducing unnecessary car parking can free up space across cities and towns, so that the local authority can then use this space for bus lanes, cycle lanes, pocket parks and planting schemes that reduce flood risk. It also provides an opportunity to move street clutter such as cycles, e-scooters, bins and outdoor dining off pavements to improve access. Many places across the UK and beyond are taking steps to do just this. Any review of parking must engage with disabled people, to ensure sufficient and well-designed disabled parking capacity is provided at appropriate locations to meet local need.

Moreover, 47% of disabled people support, while 22% oppose reducing on-street visitor parking spaces (excluding disabled parking bays) to free up space for more pedestrian-friendly areas and green spaces.

🗣️ Idea 5: Access panels to inform local transport policy

All local transport authorities should set up a group of paid disabled people. These people will review and shape transport policy and projects, known as an access panel. If disabled people are not part of the process to develop policy or deliver transport schemes, outcomes are less likely to reflect their needs. Access panels can overcome this. Local authorities should set up paid access panels to review and improve policy and practice for disabled people. An access panel is a formal group of disabled residents, reflecting a range of impairments and health conditions. They review and shape transport policy and projects in their local area.

There should be a national network to support access panels that provides support, training, and acts to share practice. Scotland already has a model for this, which the relevant bodies can build upon. 65% of disabled people support funding councils to create access panels informing and shaping transport plans and projects.

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