The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a funding competition to discover new ways to improve transport accessibility, with winning projects receiving a share of £500,000.
According to the DfT, the Accessible Technology Research and Innovation Grant (A-TRIG) is the first-of-its-kind and will invest in ideas that improve travel for disabled passengers by improving access to services and inspiring confidence to travel.
The grant will cover solutions that remove physical barriers, ease access to information, automate processes or implement better support for travellers. The DfT said this can include ways for visually impaired passengers to identify the correct bus, smartphone apps for reporting inaccessibility and a Wayfinder-style system to plan journeys.
UK transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “Everybody’s way of travelling has been affected by Covid-19, but none more so than those who are disabled. While essential in tackling the virus, I know the widespread use of masks, social distancing and changed timetables has been disconcerting for people with accessibility issues.
“I want to harness the power of technology to improve accessibility for disabled people through Covid and beyond. The funding will play a key role by finding new and innovative ideas and projects to break down barriers and could make a massive difference to people’s lives.”
Previously, the DfT had funded a mobile phone app to help people with dementia use public transport to get to hospital. Furthermore, its Access for All programme has provided 200 rail stations with better access and around 100 more are expected to be completed by 2024.
