Transport plans criticised for making things ‘harder’ for Disabled people

A Conservative councillor argued that some transportation plans will make navigating around the city “harder” for Disabled people.

Councillor Mark Weston said that he fears the Disability Equity Action Plan presented for review at the full council meeting on Tuesday afternoon is the council’s way of “tapping itself on its back”.

The proposed action plan sets out a framework for work to continue, be measured and monitored after the Disability Equality Commission concludes its work at the end of December.

Mark Weston said plans like the EBLN and closing Park Street to through-traffic will not improve things for Disabled people – photo: Martin Booth

Councillor for Henbury and Brentry, Weston said: “I’m rising to throw a few spanners on the action plan.

“The annual report, I very much welcome. My fear is that the action plan is the council tapping itself on the back, but actually we’re failing to deliver already and I have concerns we’re going to fail again.”

Weston added that while the action plan recommends ways to make digital technologies more accessible, he knows constituents who are “not online”.

Weston added: “I had one chap phone me up. He couldn’t find the waste collection rota for next year.

“He phoned the council up, he was on hold for an hour and then he got through and then he got cut off.

“He phoned me up, and I printed it out and took it to him.”

He said that “little things” like these that are mundane for others may seem really hard for some people.

Talking about city transport, the Conservative councillor said he was afraid that plans like the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (EBLN) and closing Park Street to through traffic are going to make things more difficult for Disabled people.

“We’re actually going to make things harder for Disabled people, we’re not going to improve it,” said Weston.

Labour councillor Zoe Peat said that while a motion in October 2024 by councillor Kelvin Blake to make “Bristol the most accessible city” was unanimously passed, it was voted down through a series of amendments.

Peat added: “We can also look to the scandals that surround the EBLN, where many residents have said that the changes made or proposed would make their lives significantly harder.

“Furthermore, as a local authority, we were the slowest in the country to complete SEND assessment in February, with only 1 per cent completed within the 20-week deadline.”

Councillor for Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston, Peat added that all of these reasons indicate that “there is still much more to do” for the benefit of Disabled people.

Ed Plowden sees “congestion” caused by increased single occupancy cars as the key problem – photo: Karen Johnson

Responding to Weston’s criticism of transport plans, chair for the transport and connectivity committee Ed Plowden said: “I’ve been very clear throughout that the key problem facing Bristol is congestion and a lot of people using single occupancy cars, many of whom have alternatives.

“I passionately believe that those who are not able to use other alternatives and are dependent on their cars – whether it be Disabled people or tradespeople – it should make it easier for them to get around.”

The Disability Equity Action Plan was ultimately accepted by all councillors present and will lay out the framework for work until 2028.

Main photo: Karen Johnson

Read next:

• Disability commission to end
• Denyer says ‘cruel cuts will devastate Disabled people’s lives’
• Disabled residents feel ‘trapped and excluded’ by liveable neighbourhood