Monday 8 July 2019

Access for all to public transport

It seems that work is to begin on the next phase of Network Rail's ambition to make all rail stations in England and Wales accessible to disabled people. However, it will all be for nothing if train operating companies are not forced to provide the same access to trains. Stories like this are still all too common.

On the subject of ease of access to public transport, there would be a prime opportunity for the situation in Neath to be improved. The bus interchange at Victoria Gardens does not comply with current disabled access law and was possibly in breach when it was constructed. The crown post office (kept open while the Liberal Democrats were in coalition, it should be noted) has now been abandoned, joining the old Post Office Building alongside it. What ought to happen is that, while retaining at least the facade of the listed Post Office Building, a fully-accessible bus station should be built alongside Neath rail station giving passengers easy interchange between bus and train. That would have happened in the days when all the entities concerned were under a single ownership and an integrated transport system was official government policy.

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