Scottish Parliament Petition for Accessible Rail Travel

Hi everyone,

My petition for Accessible Rail Travel is now available on the Scottish Parliament website to sign. The idea is to get as many signatures as possible by the final date of Monday 24th August 2015.

If you could pass on the link to your friends and colleagues for them to sign, that would be appreciated. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01575

Accessible Rail Travel

I am campaigning in the UK to make rail travel more accessible for blind and disabled people, for example all of the Rail Companies e.g. Virgin, Arriva, National Express, First Scotrail and the other companies have the buttons all in different positions.

Here’s an example: In the toilets, buttons in the same position have different functions on different trains. In one train a button might open the door, but in another train the button will do something different. I personally know two people who were trapped in the toilet and required assistance to escape. Even more extreme, I know a gentleman that pressed the emergency button by mistake and stopped the whole train.

I was hoping my colleagues in the UK would contact their Westminster MPs, Minister of Transport and the Association of Train Operating Companies to ask that all the buttons be relocated in the same order, have contrasting colours, and even an audible signal. This would help give blind and visually impaired people more independence and make travelling by rail more stress free.

I am looking for cross-party support for this campaign and have set up an e-petition on the government website. The petition can be found here:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/75451

Many Thanks,

Alex Scott MBE

SCOTTISH RAILLINKS

An investment into a few miles of rail track would make a great deal of difference to the Scottish economy, environment, employment, transport and tourism by joining up communities. All the Scottish political parties should have a plan over the future of rail links for example:
Cross Glasgow Railway Link

Alloa Dunfermline

Leuchars to St Andrews

Kirkcaldy to Leven

Edinburgh to Eyemouth
Also there needs to be more investment in Perth to Inverness line and Dundee to Aberdeen line for example extends dual tracking and electrification of these lines. When the first stage of the border line is completed Edinburgh to Tweedbank Galashiels we must keep the campaign going via Hawick and Carlisle. We should also be looking at other stations which would be viable for commuter train services throughout Scotland. Please contact your MPs about this.

MacShane Says Cameron Should Read Out Names of Disabled Who Die

David Cameron should read out the names each Wednesday at Prime Minister’s questions of those who have died after the Government stripped them of sickness and disability benefits an MP has said.



Denis MacShane, Labour MP for Rotherham, in a speech on Saturday 4 August has accused David Cameron and Nick Clegg of launching launched a ‘vindictive, vicious campaign to strip people with disabilities of their fundamental rights’.



The MP was speaking at a Community union conference held at Wortley Hall, South Yorkshire.



He said:

“We judge a society not by how well it pays its bankers or how many gold medals are won but how well it treats the weak and vulnerable.”

“Between January and August last year on average 32 people died every week who the Government said were fit to work. One man Stephen Hill died of a heart attack after the Department of Work and Pensions said he was fit to work and he was denied sickness benefits.”



“David Cameron should read out each Wednesday the names of those who have been sacrificed to meet his targets for increasing poverty and misery among the weakest in society while he rewards his millionaire mates with tax-cuts worth £40,000 a year.”



“The Government has handed over to a private medical contractor Atos, the task of carrying out medical tests to judge eligibility for these new benefits. Appeals against incorrect decisions by Atos are costing £50m a year, with tribunals having to sit on Saturdays and increase staff by 30% to deal with the backlog. Appeals find in favour of the claimant in at least 30% of cases though some experts reckon 9 out of ten appeals would be won if the victim was helped by an expert welfare adviser.



“The most terrifying letter in Britain today is the brown envelope from the DWP instructing a sick or disabled person that they must submit themselves to this firm making £100 million a year by carrying out these tests.



“Charities report that up to half a million disabled people of working age could lose their benefits when the tests are further tightened up next year.



“Yesterday Steve Ford, chief executive of Parkinson’s UK, said ‘Assessments carried out by Atos have led to many people being forced to appeal against decisions that are plainly wrong. How can someone with Parkinson’s – a progressive neurological condition – have an assessment report that implies they will be ready for work again in six, 12 or 18 months?’



“Labour MPs and our excellent Shadow Minister Anne McGuire have been constantly attacking the Government on this. Before May 2010 Lib Dems would also have stood up for disabled people. Not any longer. The record of LibDems MPs and Minister in acting as cover for this Tory attack on the weak and vulnerable is a disgrace.

“But it is part of a wider attack on working people and those who are not millionaires sitting in the Cabinet.



“We have seen this with the outrageous decision to close down Remploy factories. In 2007, Chris Grayling the Tory MP, now DWP minister, said ‘Let me assure Remploy and its employees that the next conservative government will continue the process of identifying additional potential procurement opportunities for them and the public sector workforce.’



“We know those words to be a lie. Remploy factories have been closed down and one of the proudest achievements of the post-war Labour government, setting up factories for the disabled, are now being destroyed. The Remploy workers and their unions are right to protect and strike though I doubt if it will have any impact on this hard-hearted government.



“Anti-union attack dogs are on the rise everywhere. There is a braying Toryism that hates trade unions and like a child pulling bits off a daddy longlegs Tory MPs seek every opportunity to bash, trash and lash unions. Their main objective is to force a renunciation of the European Union’s social rules.



“The Tory onslaught on social Europe is an ideological and cultural attempt by Thatcher’s and Tebbit’s children and grandchildren to harness the anti-EU feeling in the nation against trade union rights in general.



“It is almost as if the end of communism which the Thatcher-Reagan Tories claim as their great victory is incomplete unless unions are also eliminated from their world. There is a constant grind of anti-union laws and policies. Access to industrial tribunals are made more difficult; backbench bills are introduced to deny shop stewards time off to carry out union duties; modest British financial support for the International Labour Organisation is axed; every time workers vote in a secret ballot to stop work there is a hue and cry about banning or limiting strikes.



“Long standing national pay structures are threatened by proposals for regional pay as if an army Colonel at Catterick in Yorkshire should be paid less than an army Colonel in Aldershot in Surrey.

“From a right-wing ideological point of view there might be some justification for this if the nation was being put back on the path of growth and job creation.



“As we know this is not the case. George Osborne is making a new film ‘Honey, I shrunk the Economy.’ We have the longest recession since the 1930s. Manufacturing output has hit an all-time low. Housing investment has been cut from £2.4 billion in 2010 to under £800 million today. We can win all the gold medals the Olympics can offer but unless we invest in our own nation, in our own people, in all of our regions, and in people like those with disabilities who need a helping hand not a slapdown then our nation will get weaker and weaker.



“The poet Oliver Goldsmith wrote



Ill fares the land, to gathering ills a prey

Where wealth accumulates and men decay



“Britain’s wealth is being accumulated by the undeserving rich while the disabled are expected to decay as their life chances are removed from them by Tory ministers and their LibDem helpers.



“It is still 3 years to go to the next Government. And have no illusions that despite negative opinion polls as the Fabian Society recently reported there is no support for higher taxation amongst rank and file Labour supporters.



“Labour needs to build a new 21st century coalition of support that includes unions like my good friends in Community to whom I pledge my commitment and support but goes out to the young, to women, to graduates with and without work and speaks for all the nation not any single group within it.



“It is very hard after voters have lost confidence in a party after a long period of power to win that confidence and trust back again. The Tories have all the off-shore press on their side and on most issues the BBC and Sky reflect the interests of the better-off in Britain and the London dislike of social Europe.



“So the challenge is bigger than at any time in Labour’s history. In 1945 it had been 16 years since Labour won power and the country was changed by the egalitarian sacrifices made necessary by war. In 1997, it had been 18 years since Labour held office and the nation was ready for change and new leadership. It is only two years and a bit since we were defeated and although the nation is saying no Cameron it needs more persuasion to say yes again to Labour.



“That is a political challenge we must rise to. The party and its MPs are more united than ever before in period of opposition like the 1980s or the 1950s. Ed Miliband is making a bigger and bigger impression in the Commons. We have a brilliant intake of new MPs who are the smartest political generation in Labour history.



“But now we need to reach out beyond our comfort zone of Tory bashing. That is the challenge and I am sure with Community’s support we can start pedalling hard to win for Britain.”

Accessible Rail Travel

I am campaigning in the UK to make rail travel more accessible for blind and disabled people, for example all the Rail Companies eg. Virgin, Arriva, National Express, First Scotrail and the other companies have the buttons all in different positions.

Here’s an example: in the toilets, buttons in the same position do different functions in different trains. In one train a button might open the door, but in another train the button will do something different. I personally know two people that were trapped in the toilet and required assistance to escape, and even more extreme, I know a gentleman that pressed the emergency button by mistake and stopped the whole train.

I was hoping my colleagues in the UK would contact their Westminster MPs, Minister of Transport and the Association of Train Operating Companies to ask that all the buttons be relocated in the same order, have contrasting colours, and even an audible signal. This would help give blind and visually impaired people more independence and make travelling by rail more stress free.

I am surprised at the number of people that have joined this group since November 2007.

I lost my sight in 1977 due to problems with the Optic nerve, and I’ve been active in the National League of Blind and disabled (Trade Union for the Blind and Disabled).

I coordinated the successful campaign for free concessionary travel for the blind and partially sighted on buses, ferries, trains, and Glasgow underground. This campaign took from 1978 to 1999.

I am active locally in campaigning for information and accessibility on all fronts. More pressure must be put on the government to improve train travel for blind and visually impaired people in the 21st Century. I hope people can contact their Westminster MP, their Trade Unions and the Association of Train Operating Companies on this subject.

Scotland’s Future Rail Transport

The Scottish government should start the high speed rail link from Scotland - from Edinburgh, going via the edge of Haddington and the Lammermuir Hills, through the Scottish Borders via the Keilder Reservoir, onto Woler and then to Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham. This would make more sense starting from both ends of the country.

Also the Scottish government should look positively at making a start on the cross Glasgow rail link, i.e. Aberdeen to Ayr, Stirling to Stranraer, Edinburgh to Largs. This would join up more communities, help the environment, and employment. Also tourism.

Other rail links within Scotland: Edinburgh to Eyemouth, Edinburgh to St Andrews, Stirling, Alloa and the Fife circle link with a connection to St Andrews. Also, Kirkcaldy, Windygates and Leven.

They should also look at relocating some stations which are not best suited for passenger access, and reopen the following stations: Abbeyhill, Newburgh, East Linton, Reston, Kintor – and examine other relevant stations for a better commuter service.

This would increase rail travel.

Proposed to start the first section of the Waverley line Edinburgh to Tweedbank Galashiels to finish this by 2014 I feel strongly there should be a starting date for the Carlisle to Hawick section and dates to join the last section up.

All other Rail Lines that were closed down in the 1960’s should be investigated to see if there is a use for them and the HS02 line will not reach Scotland Line until 2032 – 2046 more should be done to bring these dates forward.

More should be done to electrify the Line to Aberdeen and Inverness also there should be more duel track on these Lines.

During the Edinburgh Festival there should be later running Trains between Edinburgh and Towns within the central belt Scotland .Also to see if there is a need for later running trains on Friday and Saturday nights .

Hope the Scottish Government in cooperation with UK Government work together to take Rail Travel into the 21st century.

Disabled Benefits Attack - Sign the petition

There is a government petition against the attack on disabled benefits which Alex Scott would like to be circulated to the Community Union for their support; however people have to be on email to list their name. The website address is; http://epitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/2096815 I would be pleased if all my friends could support and circulate this information

Incommunicado for a couple of days.

Tomorrow, I'm off down to Sheffield for the Community Union (National
League of Blind and Disabled section) meeting.

It's just a small meeting, dealing with employment benefits and
accessible travel and other disabled matters.

So I'll be offline for a couple of days, but write to me as usual and
I'll deal with anything as soon as I can once I'm back.
--
Alex Scott MBE

Check out my weblogs and Facebook profile at:

alexscottmbe.blogspot.com
alexscott1999.tripod.com
http://www.facebook.com/alexscottmbe

Continually campaigning for better accessability for disabled people
to public transport

Write up in Community Union Magazine.

I recently the subject of an article in "Community Magazine", the
magazine for Community Union. I've copied the article here for your
reading pleasure:

Issue 18 Autumn 2011

Article Begins:

"ALL ABOARD FOR ALEX'S RAIL CAMPAIGN

Blind Section member Alex Scott has a history of campaigning for
better transport for disabled people in Scotland. He was heavily
involved in a drive to get concessionary travel for disabled people.
But he has not stopped there.

Alex is working with a new campaign, Better Rail Services, aimed at
getting the Scottish Government to reopen closed routes and stations.
"Rail transport is all about linking communities together, that's why
Community is involved. It's good for jobs and the environment too", he
said. "That's why I'm urging Community members across Scotland and the
rest of the UK to lobby their MSPs and MPs to bring our rail system
into the 21st century".

Alex is also a strong supporter of the HS2 project to create a
high-speed rail network linking London to the north. He wants HS2
extended into Scotland much sooner than currently planned.

Community is also backing the HS2 campaign because the union believes
it is the kind of major infrastructure project that will help to get
the economy moving and reduce the north-south divide.

Find out more on the Community website.

http://www.community-tu.org/"

Article ends

Better Rail Services

Firstly we welcome the opening of the Bathgate Airdrie link and the line from Edinburgh to Helensburgh as this will change peoples lives in the future by joining up communities. It is hoped that the new Scottish Government can look positively at reopening stations and the lines that were closed down in the late sixties and there should be a timetable to do this over the next parliamentary term. They should also look at the following stations'Reston in Berwickshire (with the opening of the link to Eyemouth)East Linton in East LothianNewbury in FifeGorgie, Abbeyhill and Portobello in Edinburgh.
It is hoped that they can reopen the South suburban line and join this up with the Fife circle line. The trains would do a figure of eight outer circle and inner circle. There should also be a connection between Edinburgh and St Andrews.During the festival they should see if they can run later services to Newcastle, Carlisle, Dundee, Stirling, Glasgow and all other stations in the central belt. At the moment the last direct train leaves London Kingscross at 7pm and this should be put back to 8pm. More should be done to reduce the time to less than four hours on the east coast line. The high speed service on the west coast line could serve Edinburgh as well as Glasgow from Euston via Preston, Carlisle to Edinburgh during the peak period. This would not cost much and would save a considerable amount of travelling time from the centre of London to the centre of Edinburgh. A faster service would appeal to potential travellers who may otherwise opt to use the airlines.
The high speed link between London and Scotland is said to be with us by 2032-46. More should be done to bring Scotland into the 21st century on accessible rail travel. All these points should be taken into consideration by the Scottish government in co-operation with the UK Government.

The opening of the railway line – Edinburgh to Galashiels is in the planning stage and there should be a push for the reintroduction of the Carlisle to Hawick section of the Waverley line. This would leave a 30 mile gap in the rail link between Galashiels and Hawick which could be scheduled for completion at a later date.

The above mentioned will be an investment for Scotland’s future transport needs and help to promote tourism also the economy and employment.

Alex Scott MBE blogspot.com.

Liberton and District Community Council Chairman’s report

27.6.2011

Alex stated that a crossing was to be found at the location opposite Morrison's in Gilmerton Road of which he'd spoken at the meeting in May, He spoke of the directional guidance device for sight- impaired and registered blind people being piloted in Edinburgh. He had used it and considered it to be superior to the current key operated system for pedestrian navigation as it helps bus stops and crossings.
Funding partners in the development and distribution of the device had included the, the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) ,Halcrow and Edinburgh city council, transport Scotland.

He stated that the exponential increase in rail passenger traffic in recent years was fuelling a campaign to re-open the South Suburban, Border and other similar rail routes. Currently disused stations in the Lothians such as Gorgie, Abbeyhill and Portobello and stations such as Newburgh ,in Fife East Linton in East Lothian and Renton in Berwickshire could all now be re-opened for passenger services.

He issued an information sheet which welcomed the extension of the Edinburgh to Bathgate line to Airdrie and also summarised the case for a high-speed link to Edinburgh from London King's Cross or using an existing service by diverting the West coast run from Euston during peak hours.

"The high speed link between Scotland England is to to be with us by 2032-2045 More should be done to bring Scotland into the 21st century on accessible rail travel."

Better Local Rail Services

Firstly we welcome the opening of the Bathgate Airdrie link and the line from Edinburgh to Helensburgh as this will change peoples lives in the future by joining up communities. It is hoped that the new Scottish Government can look positively at reopening stations and the lines that were closed down in the late sixties and there should be a timetable to do this over the next parliamentary term. They should also look at the following stations'Reston in BerwickshireEast Linton in East LothianNewbury in FifeGorgie, Abbeyhill and Portobello in Edinburgh and
It is hoped that they can reopen the South suburban line and join this up with the Fife circle line. The trains would do a figure of eight outer circle and inner circle. There should also be a connection between Edinburgh and St Andrews.During the festival they should see if they can run later services to Newcastle, Carlisle, Dundee, Stirling, Glasgow and all other stations in the central belt. At the moment the last direct train leaves London Kingscross at 6 pm and this should be put back to 7 30 pm or even 8 pm. More should be done to reduce the time to less than four hours on the east coast line. The high speed service on the west coast line could serve Edinburgh as well as Glasgow from Euston via Preston, Carlisle to Edinburgh during the peak period. This would not cost much and would save a considerable amount of travelling time from the centre of London to the centre of Edinburgh. A faster service would appeal to potential travellers who may otherwise opt to use the airlines.
The high speed link between London and Scotland is said to be with us by 2032-46. More should be done to bring Scotland into the 21st century on accessible rail travel. All these points should be taken into consideration by the Scottish government in co-operation with the UK Government.

Alex Scott MBE

Ferries Across the Firth of Forth

I am pleased that there is going to be a Hovverlink between Kirkcaldy and Portobello, Edinburgh, which will help ease congestion on the Forth Road Bridge as it will speed up journey times between Kirkcaldy and Edinburgh as the crossing will only take 25 minutes to cover the approximate 4 miles rather than people having to travel 32 miles by road.

However, I am very disappointed that this is not going to happen until 2012. On the Clyde there are a number of ferries and I think a similar scheme could be fully developed on the River Forth. For example, a roll-on-roll-off car ferry from Dunbar, East Lothian, to Anstruther, Fife or another suitable ferry terminal on the Neuk of Fife for this purpose, which may require redevelopment of the harbours. This would also require road infrastructure from the Fife coast to the M90 to be improved.

It is approximately 17? miles between Dunbar and Anstruther and it is 87 miles around the coast, and this would save on the carbon footprint and heat spots with transport going round and through Edinburgh and would be cost saving from the north of England to the North East of Scotland and Highlands and would also open up tourism throughout Fife and southeast Scotland. This would be one way of boosting the economy and help increase employment.

I also support a passenger service from Burntisland to Granton (a crossing distance of less than four miles against a road distance of 19.9 miles)which should allow people to park their cars and travel without stress in congestion to and from Edinburgh and also this could be part of an integrated public transport system where one ticket allows travel on buses in Fife and Edinburgh as well as the ferry.

All the above would help to ease the flow of traffic in and around Edinburgh and Fife and would help the environment by reducing carbon emissions.

Letters to the Editor - Waverley Line

I have recently had a letter about the delays in the re-opening of the Waverley Line published by three newspapers, which are:

The Scotsman
Edinburgh Evening News
The Southern Reporter

Below is a copy of the letter submitted to the papers, which was slightly editted by them for publication. The letter was sent to them on 12 October 2009.

"Dear Editor

I am concerned in the delays in the reconstruction of the Waverley Line and feel more pressure should be put on the Scottish Government to provide us with a starting date for work to commence from both ends of the line which should commence simultaneously at both Edinburgh and Carlisle.

Your readers may be interested to known of two groups on ww.facebook.com which are
“The Waverley Line + Borders Rail Link Edinburgh Galashiels Carlisle” and “Get the Scottish Borders Linked by Rail to Edinburgh”

These groups support the re-opening of rail links between Edinburgh and Carlisle and I would encourage your readers to join in the campaign to ensure that more people know of the need for this link.


Yours sincerely

Alex Scott MBE"

Following the publication of the letter the number of people signed up to the Facebook groups mentioned has increased greatly.

There has also been some increase in the interest in the subject and other people have responded with their opinions in later editions of newspapers.

East Coast Mainline - High Speed Rail Link - Edinburgh to London

I believe that there should be a high speed rail link on the East Coast Mainline route connecting London-Leeds-Newcastle-Edinburgh and Glasgow with improvements in the lines to Inverness, Aberdeen and other Scottish towns with more dual tracking and extended electrification which should be started within the next five years.

This high-speed link, along with the other improvements would, bring many advantages for businesses, users and the environment by encouraging traffic from the roads. the time taken from the centre of Edinburgh to the centre of London using the high-speed link would be much less than travelling from the centre of Edinburgh to the airport and then flying to London and then onwards into the city centre.
I think this would save time, stress and damage to the environment. You just have to look at the system that they use in France, for example the TGV rail system from Paris to Lyon.

From now on all rail lines ie the tracks and rolling-stock should be built and developed within the UK in order to preserve and create jobs for British workers.

All the stations and trains should be made accessible by having a universal information system which can be used by blind and disabled people. All trains should have a standard layout for buttons.

This would give us an intergrated transport system which would be accessible to all and fit for the 21st century.

Campaign to save DLA and Attendance Allowance

I recently had this message passed to me via a friend who received it from the Benefits and Work website: http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk

I would be pleased if you would consider supporting this campaign.

Alex Scott

"This week we’re asking you to take the argument to the government by posting your opinions on their official green paper website. By doing this you will be contributing to the consultation process and your views– according to the government – will be taken into account when they begin work on drawing up the white paper due out next year. We think it’s vital that you do contribute because, otherwise, you’ll be leaving it to others to speak on your behalf and they may not say quite what you want to say or with quite the passion that you might want to say it.

We also think it’s important that the green paper website reflects what sick and disabled claimants actually do think, rather than what anyone else would like to claim you think. There are lots of places on the Big Care Debate website where you can have your say. All comments are moderated, so if you say anything especially rude or potentially defamatory it’s unlikely to be publishedWe suggest you either use the Executive Summary page here:

http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/greenpaper/execsum/

or the Having Your say page here:

http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/greenpaper/execsum/having-your-say/

You are asked to give your name and email address. Your name will be published on the site but your email address won’t. If you want more details about the confidentiality policy for this consultation you can find them on the Having your say page, under the sub-heading ‘Confidentiality of information’. As usual, we’re not going to tell people what to write. There are lots of contributions from claimants on the green paper website already, so you can see what others have written. You may also be able to copy and paste things you’ve written to your MP or disability organisations into the feedback box, if appropriate.

The issue we’ve been campaigning about is the proposal to hand disability benefits over to local authorities. But there are lots of other issues in the green paper you may also wish to comment on. For example, there is the fact that the government have ruled out using taxes to pay for care (Option 5 of the funding options) before the ‘Big debate’ has even begun. Lots of people think general taxation is the right way to pay for care and that it’s wrong to take this option off the table before people have even been consulted.

THE CAMPAIGN SO FAR

A huge amount has been achieved in an astonishingly short space of time. Information about the threat to disability benefits has been published on many hundreds of websites, forums and blogs. Over 21,000 people have signed up to the campaign. All the major disability charities, and the vast majority of the smaller ones are now very aware of this issue. This, for example, comes from the Arthritis Care website:

“A large number of people with arthritis have expressed concern to us about Government proposals to remove Attendance Allowance (AA) benefits, as part of a wider review of social care services. Both AA and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) offer nationally-set, non-means tested benefits which are often vitally important to help keep people with arthritis active, independent and in work wherever possible. Arthritis Care is opposed to any attempts to remove or subsume such benefits into mainstream social care services.”

The full statement is available here:

http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/campaigns/currentissues/socialcarereform

There’s also unlikely to be an MP in the UK who hasn’t heard from constituents about this issue. Replies have begun trickling in from them already. For example, labour MP David Drew has emailed a constituent to say:
“Like you I have serious misgivings about interfering with DLA and Attendance Allowance and particularly the introduction of means testing.”

Remember, if you’re not a member of Benefits and Work and so can’t post on our forum, you can post replies from MP or anyone else at the newly established welfare watch website at:

http://welfarewatch.myfineforum.org/index.php

So . . . disability organisations informed . . . MPs quizzed . . . if we can now get a thousand or more responses on the green paper website, then all the major avenues for consultation will have been covered. There are other things happening too. In Cornwall today, for example, there’s a public petition signing going on at Lemon Quay in Truro from 12.00 – 3.30pm. The event is being covered by Radio Cornwall. More details of this and other possible petition signing days from:

http://www.politicalcripple.com/d/

We’ve also no doubt that someone will get a petition put on the No 10 website as soon as it opens for business on 7 September. And we’ve heard from people who came across the campaign from letters and articles in their local paper, so there’s no doubt that it’s worth the effort of contacting your local media. Well done to everyone who’s managed to get coverage so far, do keep it up.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

For the present, we won’t be sending out any more emails asking you to do things simply because you’ve achieved in a few weeks more than we expected to achieve in months. But we do think it’s vital that disability charities actually seek members views and actively campaign on this issue. So keep the pressure up and let us know if you think they’re not being proactive enough. We’ll do our best to keep you informed by email of any developments between now and November 13th, when the consultation ends. We’ll then delete this mailing list –we won’t hold on to your details. But you’ll still be very welcome to sign up to our free monthly newsletter if you haven’t already, so that you can keep yourself informed about what’s happening. Meanwhile, please do visit the green paper website and let them hear, loud and clear, what you think.

Good luck,
Steve Donnison"

Save our Resource Centre, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh

I've created a group on Facebook called "Save our Resource Centre".

We are asking for your support to help save this service.

This group has been created due to concern over the future of the Resource Centre for blind, deaf, physically disabled and senior citizens at the Central Library, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.

The Resource Centre provides computers with voice and magnification software to make the machines accessible and staff to provide one to one support.

The Resource Centre is well appreciated by all who use it, and they like coming to a central point, which is well served by Public transport. They appreciate the opportunity to drop in without appointment, as most would be unable to use the mainstream services. The clients are given as much individual time as they need, which would not be possible without a dedicated team and dedicated machines.

My Campaignes

CAMPAIGNS I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND BLINDNESS AND MAKE LIFE ACCESSIBLE FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE
The article below was taken from a booklet issued by the Community Trade Union December 2007 the National League for Blind & Disabled is part of this union.
“My ultimate aim is to get free or at least cheaper off peak travel on all train and ferry services for disabled people and pensioners”
Battling for better rights for blind people has become a way of life for courageous campaigning Community member Alex Scott.

Alex, who is registered blind, struggled for 12 years to win the campaign to get free travel for all blind and partially sighted people on buses, trains and ferries throughout Scotland and he finally succeeded eight years ago.

"It was a long campaign but very worthwhile because it has made a huge difference to a lot of people," says Edinburgh man Alex, who was awarded an MBE for his sterling efforts.

"I am very pleased and proud that I was able to achieve that. Over the years I've written hundreds of letters and traveled many miles, but if I had been campaigning as an individual I doubt I would have had the same success.

"The union's strong campaigning reputation with MPs and others was one of the reasons why I was so successful." Alex's own experiences of the inequalities of the travel system which used to be free in only some areas across Scotland, made him decide to launch a campaign in 1987.

A union member for the past 27 years, Alex quickly became an active campaigner and soon joined the Scottish Regional Council where he doggedly pursued his aims with no less than four successive Transport Ministers and eventually won the support of some 200 MPs.

Spurred on by the success of his achievement in 1999 he went on to campaign and achieve the same free travel rights for disabled people and senior citizens and Alex hasn't hung up his campaigning hat yet.

"There are still many campaigns to fight - my ultimate aim is to get free or at least cheaper off peak travel on all train and ferry services for disabled people and pensioners, so I'll will keep trying until I achieve that too," he pledges.

I have taken part in the successful campaign organized by the RNIB to get the higher rate mobility allowance for blind and severely blind people and was down at Westminster with the deputy NLBD on 4 December 2007 and returned on 15 October 2008 as part of the RNIB for Scotland.
The other campaigns I have been involved in is to have all buttons on trains on trains standardized so all the buttons are all in the same position in all the trains and to be coloured coded for easy access for everybody.

The NLBD is also taking part in the campaign against shared surfaces such as Exhibition Road Kensington, and I believe is being looked at by Edinburgh City Council in the re-development of Niddrie Road Edinburgh which is a very busy road with three disabled units and a lot of families in the area. We are against this on the grounds of safety and believe that pedestrians and cars should be separated and must campaign against where ever it happens in the United Kingdom.

http://www.community-tu.org/

CAMPAIGN AGAINST XMAS RAIL SHUTDOWN 2008

I fully support this campaign against the annual rail shutdown over 58 hours at Christmas time as for example there is a big number of football matches and other sporting events all over the country on boxing day and people travelling using cars and coaches polluting the atmosphere which is totally unnecessary.Unlike our European colleagues who have a train system running throughout the year saving congestion on the roads, stress and the environment and people should contact their Westminster MPs to help in this lobby to take our rail transport system into the 21st century.

Review of Travel Scheme

Dear Mr Scott,

As discussed, I've attached a copy of the remit for the review of the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People. This document is also published on the Scottish Government website.

The eligibility criteria for the scheme already allow blind people and their travelling companion, where appropriate, free travel on all local and long distance buses within Scotland and to Berwick-upon-Tweed and Carlisle in England. Blind people who live on Scottish islands also qualify for 4 free single ferry journeys per year to the Scottish mainland.

While the current review is considering what improvements might be made to the scheme, there are no plans to amend the current eligibility criteria as they apply to blind people. Indeed, Ministers have stated in Parliament that all currently eligible people and bus services will remain eligible following the review.

We invited RNIB Scotland, amongst others, to comment on the current operation of the scheme and to recommend any changes which they would wish to see introduced in the future. In the absence of a reply, we shall assume that they are content with the current arrangements,

I hope this note provides the re-assurance that you were seeking.

Best wishes.

George Davidson
Scottish Government

Integrated Accessible Transport 2

INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SYSTEM
Regarding Real Time Bus Information in Edinburgh it appears that, at present, only one bus company can use this system - Lothian Region Buses. I do not see why other bus companies cannot join this scheme, such as First Bus, Stage Coach, McEwan and any others who may wish, in the future, to use the bus stops. Obviously these buses must be fitted with the equipment to be part of the system.
I enquired a number of years ago, with Councillor Andrew Burns, about making this system accessible for blind and partially sighted people with an added audible system for a number of bus stops in the city centre. I was told at the time that the Council Transport Department were looking at two or three systems, but since then no one from the Transport Department has informed me of any developments on the research of these systems. Quite a number of people find the colouring of the screen unsuitable for reading. Audible systems are already in place in other parts of the country such as Dundee, Manchester, and Bournemouth, and I feel strongly that more city councils should get together and liaise with the Transport Operators to achieve best value for an accessible transport system.
As well as the above, some of the London buses also have the audible information system on them, informing the passengers of the next stop. A speaker system already exists in Edinburgh buses, so why not fit in the appropriate software to complete the system, which would also assist tourists as well as blind and disabled people? I am also concerned that there are seven or eight different models of buses in Edinburgh, which can be confusing to visually impaired people as seats are placed differently and fold down in various directions. In the future, why can it not be reduced to just two or three models, with the disabled area standardized, throughout the country? More and more buses are accessible for the disabled; however, there are two main bad practices: people not taking seats and standing between the door and the stairwell which blocks the exit and entrance, and mothers bringing prams on board, who are then unable to fold them down when a wheelchair needs the space. Bus drivers also have problems to take on or drop passengers, especially people in wheelchairs, because cars are being parked carelessly in bus stop areas. This can also lead to unnecessary traffic jams behind the buses, as cars cannot overtake the buses on narrow roads.
A consideration of the above mentioned points would help improve the transport system and would facilitate less stressful travelling for both passengers and drivers.