When I tell people I moved from Motherwell to Edinburgh for the buses they either laugh politely or vehemently agree.
The difference in response usually correlates with whether or not they too have a disability or rely solely on public transport to get around. Where I grew up in North Lanarkshire I wasn’t able to leave my street due to horrible dropped kerbs and I was driven to school or medical appointments because of the lack of any alternative.
Now in Edinburgh I can’t imagine relying on a car and am so grateful for the attention to accessibility that Lothian Buses has for its customers. Can they do better? There is always room for improvement! Also, it is important to remember that, one thing that is super accessible to me, may not be the inclusive holy grail to someone with a different impairment.
Since my election in 2022 I have met with Lothian Buses a number of times to keep up to date with their accessibility improvements. On a national level, the Disabled Person’s Bus Pass Scheme is one that I’m especially interested in helping to improve.
For example, as a wheelchair user with a chronic to degenerative condition I am expected to reapply for my bus pass every three years to “prove” that I am “still disabled.” This is a lot of unnecessary and troubling admin. If my social security is awarded indefinitely then surely that is enough.
Products, schemes and infrastructure for disabled people are always best designed when they are developed with disabled people from the beginning. As the global disability movement’s motto states: “Nothing about us, without us.”
For me, accessible public transport is so much more than getting from A to B. It is the ability to socialise, work, attend appointments and give back to my community.
That goes for disabled people and for young people who use the Under 22 scheme, brought in by Scottish Greens whilst they were in the Scottish Government as part of the Bute House Agreement.
We know that this scheme has been revolutionary for children in the city who can now travel for free on bus and trams. This is great for their families’ finances and for promoting car-free travel in the city.
But we know it is not just the vehicle that has to be accessible – we need to consider the built environment at and around our bus stops across the city.
Inspired by Equal Footing Porty – a Portobello campaign group focused on improving accessibility – I am looking forward to working with officers over the next two years to develop an auditing system for bus stops and surrounding conditions around the City of Edinburgh.
There is a lot of work still to be done to make Edinburgh as accessible as it can be for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle. With disabled people at the table however, I’m confident that lived experience and pressure on governments at all levels will deliver change that we need.