We are thrilled to announce that the Department for Transport’s Strategy includes a commitment to provide £2 million for the purpose of getting more Changing Places toilets installed at motorway service stations in England.

 

We have had a number of meetings with the Department for Transport over the last few months and know that this decision has been influenced by the large number of consultation submissions they received which highlighted the challenges people experience due to a lack of Changing Places toilets at transport hubs. The Department have also made reference to the huge support for Zack Kerr’s petition which called for improved Changing Places toilet provision at motorway services.

 

Changing Places campaigners and the Consortium have been fighting for a long time to get Changing Places toilets installed at motorway services. Whilst there has been positive progress over the last few years there is still a long way to go. Across the UK, there are currently just 18 registered Changing Places toilets (15 of which are in England) across a network of over 100 service stations. This isn’t good enough.

 

This money from the Department for Transport would mean that over ¼ million people with severe disabilities and their families will be able to travel easily and comfortably on the road network, safe in the knowledge that they can access toilets that meet their needs.

 

We will be speaking with the Department for Transport soon and look forward to sharing more information about how this investment will work in practice. 

 

The Inclusive Transport Strategy also includes a £300 million investment in making railway stations more accessible, compensation for disabled passengers if booked assistance is not provided, and a league table of the best-performing companies.

 

Thank you to all the campaigners who have worked so hard to make the case for Changing Places toilets at transport hubs. 

 

There is still a long way to go until we can say public transport is accessible for all but this commitment and investment is a step in the right direction.