Disabled people in the UK continue to face widespread discrimination and barriers to using public transport, according to a new Transport Committee report.
The cross-party group of MPs is calling for urgent reforms to improve accessibility across all transport modes, arguing that current laws and enforcement mechanisms are failing disabled passengers.
The report, titled Access Denied: Rights versus Reality in Disabled People’s Access to Transport, highlights severe failures across the transport network.
It details cases of wheelchair users left stranded on planes for hours, taxi drivers refusing passengers with assistance dogs, inaccessible street infrastructure, and public transport staff failing to provide adequate support.
MPs found that, despite longstanding policy commitments to equal access, progress has either stalled or gone into reverse since the Covid-19 pandemic.
A survey conducted by the Committee found that 67% of disabled people, or those who assist them, regularly face challenges using transport, while half of respondents said they often avoid travelling due to expected difficulties.
The report also found that the burden of lodging complaints falls disproportionately on disabled passengers, with transport operators failing to implement systemic changes in response.
MPs criticised fragmented regulatory enforcement, describing the current approach as ineffective and inconsistent across different modes of transport.
Transport Committee chair Ruth Cadbury MP condemned the current state of accessibility, stating: “It should be a source of national embarrassment that transport services effectively treat disabled people as second-class citizens, denying them access to jobs, leisure, and essential services.”
She also criticised transport operators for failing to learn from past mistakes, arguing that accessibility failures remain commonplace and that penalties are often seen as a mere “cost of doing business”.
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The report calls for a fundamental shift in how transport accessibility is treated in the UK.
It argues that accessibility should be seen as a human right rather than a customer service issue and that any failure to provide adequate transport services should be treated as discrimination.
The committee recommends the creation of a unified transport complaints system within 12 months to ensure passengers can seek redress more easily.
It also calls for a comprehensive review of existing accessibility legislation, including the fragmented regulatory framework that currently oversees transport accessibility.
MPs are urging the government to develop a fully costed Inclusive Transport Strategy to ensure lasting improvements across the transport network.
The strategy should set out clear, legally binding timelines for making public transport fully accessible, including specific commitments to improve rail infrastructure.
The report highlights examples from other countries, such as Vienna’s U-Bahn network, which has a long-term strategy for station accessibility, New York City’s commitment to making 95% of subway stations accessible by 2055, and the Netherlands’ plan to improve its entire rail network by 2030.
The committee argues that the UK should adopt a similarly ambitious roadmap.
The report also stresses the need for proactive enforcement, with transport regulators required to take a tougher approach in holding operators accountable for failing to meet accessibility obligations.
MPs concluded that transport accessibility in the UK must no longer be treated as an afterthought, calling on the government to prioritise disabled passengers and ensure that transport providers face meaningful consequences for failing to meet accessibility standards.
Achievements and innovations in transport accessibility and inclusivity will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
