Transport body fights quangos bonfire

Hundreds of former Government advisory groups are falling prey to vigorous Coalition axe-wielding. As a member of one, Helen Dolphin is witnessing a battle for prolonged life

In September’s Disability Now I wrote that the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) was to lose half its members in a recruitment freeze.

My understanding was that of its 19 members of staff, 10 would be left to carry out all the work of advising Government and industry on the impact of transport legislation, regulation, guidance and policy on people with disabilities.

I knew my own position on this non-departmental public body was on the block, but since DPTAC has a statutory duty to consider any matter referred to it by Transport Ministers, I was confident that the body itself was safe.

I was therefore shocked to hear in the Public Bodies Bill that DPTAC had been earmarked for scrapping. There have admittedly been dramatic improvements in the accessibility of public transport in most urban areas in the UK, but much still needs to be done, and DPTAC has had a vital role in ensuring that improve­ments have been made, and offering a wider, pan-disability view than bodies like Guide Dogs and Mobilise have been able to offer.

Winding up DPTAC is expected to take about a year. In the interim period, it will continue to operate, and as the minimum legal number of members is 11, Tomi Jones who was the former chair of the road-based working group has had his term extended.

Chair Dai Powell is adamant that the work of DPTAC will continue for as long as possible, but with significant changes. Some of the functions previously undertaken by DPTAC will no longer be able to be done, he has said, but the rump of DPTAC will spend much of its time covering its statutory duties, and trying to do as much as possible on ministerial consultations and advice.

A review is already under­way on DPTAC’s succession and what statutory duties its replacement would need to undertake. Dai Powell said: “We will be working very closely with the Department for Transport during this review to ensure that the transport needs of disabled people are top of the agenda in the department and that the ministers can get the independent advice they need.”

The reason for getting rid of DPTAC was said to be that the Government wanted a “more flexible approach”. It has yet to be seen what this will look like but it is important that the successor body, whatever its format, has the remit, independence and credibility to ensure that the needs of disabled people are kept at the top of the agenda.