Transport & Mobility

If you travel with an assistance dog they must be allowed into the taxi or minicab with you, unless the driver has an exemption certificate. This can be issued if they have a medical condition made worse by contact with dogs.

A driver with an exemption certificate will have a ‘Notice of Exemption’ on their vehicle windscreen.

It is illegal to be charged extra to travel in a taxi or minicab with an assistance dog. Otherwise the driver could be fined up to £1,000.

The following types of dog can be taken with you in taxis or minicabs:

• Guide dogs
• Hearing dogs
• Assistance dogs trained by Dogs for the Disabled, Support Dogs or Canine Partners

Taxi and private hire vehicle drivers have been told how to identify assistance dogs. Your assistance dog should wear its harness or identification jacket when you are travelling with it. If an identification card was issued for the dog, this should also be carried.

Dogs should remain on the floor and under control at all times. If your dog causes any damage to the vehicle, the driver could ask you to pay for it.

As well as the rules on wheelchairs and assistance dogs, all taxi and minicab drivers must make sure they do not discriminate against you and cannot treat you less favourably than other customers. They should also make any ‘reasonable adjustments’ to their service for you to make your journey easier.

For further information or guidance on taxi accessibility, or to discuss a complaint, please contact the Peterborough taxi licensing team by Telephone 01733 453491, or Email licensing@peterborough.gov.uk

Passenger Assistance by Transreport is an application that allows you to request assistance via your smartphone. You then receive a confirmation email once your request has been checked and confirmed. You can find out more about the app on the Passenger Assistance by Transreport page.

You can also call for free 0800 0223720, or Text 60083. For textphone/minicom Dial 0845 60 50 600.

You will need to know the journey you are planning to take and they will connect you to the appropriate train company to confirm your booking request. For text and textphone they will send an instant SMS with the number you need to dial from your textphone unit.

You can also check if a station has accessible facilities.

On mainline (intercity, suburban and cross-country) trains there is space for your wheelchair. You should put your chair in the space and use the brakes (or switch your wheelchair’s power off) when the train is moving.

If you are eligible you can get up to a third off rail tickets by applying for a disabled person’s railcard. You can use your Railcard as many times as you like. Just make sure to have it with you when you travel.

• The Railcard discount is valid at any time of the day
• If you have someone travelling with you, they can get the discount too

You must provide evidence of a relevant disability when you apply.

If you are unhappy with the help you get, complain to the train company directly. If you cannot resolve the complaint, you may be able to complain to the Rail Ombudsman. They can only consider complaints about companies that have joined the Rail Ombudsman scheme. Telephone 0330 094 0362, Email info@railombudsman.org, or Visit www.railombudsman.org/making-a-complaint

Check if you need to tell DVLA about your condition to find the forms or questionnaires you need. The address you need is on the forms. There are different forms for different conditions and disabilities. Contact DVLA if you are not sure what to do. You could be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a condition that might affect your ability to drive safely. You could also be prosecuted if you have an accident.

You must surrender your licence to DVLA if any of the following are true:

• Your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more
• Your medical condition affects your ability to drive safely and lasts for 3 months or more
• You do not meet the required standards for driving because of your medical condition

You can apply to get your licence back when you meet the medical standards for driving again.

In England, Scotland and Wales you can apply online at www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge for a Blue Badge.

You can contact the Peterborough Blue Badge administration for more information. Telephone 01733 452356 available 10am-4pm, or Visit www.peterborough.gov.uk

You automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if you are aged 3 or over and at least one of the following applies:

• You receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• You receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) because you cannot walk more than 50 metres (a score of 8 points or more under the ‘moving around’ activity of the mobility component)
• You are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
• You receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• You have received a lump sum benefit within tariff levels 1 to 8 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking
• You receive the mobility component of PIP and have obtained 10 points specifically for descriptor E under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity, on the grounds that you are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause you overwhelming psychological distress

If you have any score other than 10 points under descriptor E, in the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity of PIP you may still be eligible for a Blue Badge, but you do not automatically qualify. This includes if you have a higher score of 12. You will have to provide evidence to demonstrate your eligibility, which will be assessed as a part of your application.

Blue Badge holders in Peterborough are permitted to park:

• On double or single yellow lines (where no loading restrictions are in place – indicated by single or double kerb markings) for up to 3 hours
• For free in on-street pay and display bays for as long as they would like (but not in off-street car parks where normal charges will apply)
• In limited waiting bays (30 mins, 1 hour, etc…) for as long as they would like
• In disabled badge holders only bays for as long as stated on the signs, if no time limit is stated on the signs they can park for as long as they would like

Please note that not all disabled parking bays in private car parks are free for Blue Badge holders. Always check the relevant signs for the rules when you park.

You can now apply for a disabled person’s bus pass online using this link. Please note, you are still required to upload any supporting documents. Alternatively, Telephone 01733 747474 and ask to be put through to the Travel Choice department who can send out applications by post.

All passes will be sent by post to your home address within 7-10 working days.

Your bus pass can be used throughout England on any local bus services (coaches will not accept bus passes but some companies may offer a discount, please check with your service provider). Passes can be used from 9.30am onward and at any time during weekends and bank holidays.

Unfortunately, the concessionary fare scheme is not available to carers.

Community Link is Peterborough City Council’s urban door-to-door service. It is a wheelchair accessible service for anyone who lives in the urban area of Peterborough and experiences difficulty using standard public transport or who has no access to public transport. The service will collect you from your home, drop you off in the city centre (four days a week) or a supermarket (once a week) and pick you up again for your return journey, approximately two and a half hours later. Additional trips may also be organised on an ad hoc basis.

• Membership costs £5 per person or £7.50 for a couple per year
• The additional payment is your fare (similar to a standard bus fare)
• Concessionary bus passes are accepted on this service

Additional information

For a registration form or to make a booking, Telephone The Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority on 01223 790149 the line is open from 9am – 5pm, Mondays to Fridays.

At other times, Email community.transport@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk, or leave a message on the answer phone. They currently require 48 hours’ notice of booking.

You can only drive a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair if you:

• Have trouble walking because of an injury, physical disability or medical condition
• Are demonstrating the vehicle before it is sold
• Are training a disabled user
• Are taking the vehicle to or from maintenance or repair

You can only drive on the road in a class 3 invalid carriage. The maximum speed is 8mph.

You cannot drive on bus lanes, ‘cycle only’ lanes or motorways. Avoid using dual carriageways with a speed limit of over 50mph.

You must use an amber flashing light for visibility if you use a class 3 invalid carriage on a dual carriageway.

Road rules

You must follow the Highway Code if you drive your mobility scooter on the road.

All mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs can legally travel at a maximum of 4mph on footpaths or in pedestrian areas. You cannot drive any type of mobility scooter or powered wheelchair on cycle paths marked ‘cycle only’.

Parking

All normal parking restrictions apply to mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs. Your vehicle should not be left on a footpath or pedestrian area on its own if it gets in the way of other pedestrians, including wheelchair users and people with prams or pushchairs.

There is no legal eyesight requirement to drive mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs, but you should be able to read a car’s registration number from a distance of 12.3 metres (40 feet). You must check that you can still do this regularly.

You might have to pay compensation if you have an accident and poor eyesight was part of the cause.

You do not have to pay vehicle tax for any mobility scooter or powered wheelchair if it is registered as a ‘class 3 invalid carriage’. Check whether a vehicle is registered as an ‘invalid carriage’ by asking the seller when you buy it.

When you buy a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair, the seller will make you the ‘registered keeper’. This means the vehicle will be in your name. You will get a new vehicle log book (V5C) in the post within 4 weeks of the sale.

If you do not get a new vehicle log book 4 weeks after the sale, fill in an ‘Application for a vehicle registration certificate’ (V62) and send it to the DVLA.

Change your name or address

If you need to change your name or address, fill in section 6 of your vehicle log book and send it to the DVLA.

If your mobility scooter or powered wheelchair is not a registered vehicle

Most scooters and wheelchairs will already be registered by the dealer or manufacturer before you buy them.

If your vehicle is not registered, register it by filling in:

• Form V55/4 for new vehicles
• Form V55/5 for used vehicles

You do not need insurance for a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair, although it is recommended.

Patient transport services are responsible for transporting people to and from hospital appointments. NHS trusts contract transport providers who organise and provide transport for their patients. Examples of people who are eligible for patient transport are:

• People whose condition means they need additional medical support during their journey
• People who find it difficult to walk
• Parents or guardians of children who are being transported

Each NHS Trust has its own procedure for arranging transport. Many trusts require either a GP or hospital doctor to authorise the booking of transport. The best advice is to mention to your GP at the time of your referral that you might need transport to and from the hospital. If you are already a hospital patient then check with your hospital doctor how you go about arranging transport.

Many Patient Transport services will ask you a series of questions over the phone to assess your eligibility for the service. These questions can include if you can use public transport, if you have a Blue Badge, or whether you have a Motability vehicle or a family member with a car. Please consider your responses to these questions carefully as they will determine whether you will be allocated Patient Transport.

For more information Visit www.nhs.uk

If you need help with the cost of transport to an appointment, you may be eligible to claim a refund under the ‘Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme’ (HTCS). The HTCS provides financial support for travel costs to NHS premises for NHS-funded treatment or diagnostic tests arranged by a doctor or dentist.

Eligibility

To qualify for help with travel costs under the HTCS, you must meet 3 conditions:

• At the time of your appointment, you or your partner (including civil partners) must receive one of the qualifying benefits or allowances listed on this page, or meet the eligibility criteria for the NHS Low Income Scheme
• You must have a referral from a healthcare professional to a specialist or a hospital for further NHS treatment or tests (often referred to as secondary care)
• Your appointment must be on a separate visit to when the referral was made. This applies whether your treatment is provided at a different location (hospital or clinic) or on the same premises as where the GP or another health professional issued the referral

You can claim travel costs for your children if 2 or 3 of the above conditions apply to them and you are in group 1 above at the time of the appointment.

You can claim help with travel costs if you or your partner (including civil partner) receive any of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Working Tax Credit (WTC) with Child Tax Credit (CTC)
• WTC with a disability element or a severe disability element
• CTC but you are not eligible for WTC
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• You receive Universal Credit and meet the criteria

You can also claim for help with travel costs if:

• You are named on, or entitled to, an NHS tax credit exemption certificate (if you do not have a certificate, you can show your award notice). You qualify if you get child tax credits, working tax credits with a disability element (or both), and have income for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less
• You have a low income and are named on certificate HC2 (full help) or HC3 (limited help) – to apply for this certificate, you should complete the HC1 form: claim for help with health costs, which is available from your local hospital, Jobcentre Plus offices or the NHS print contract order line on 0300 123 0849
• Patients who are not in receipt of a qualifying benefit but are on a low income and whose savings are £16,000 or less (or £23,250 or less if in a care home, or £24,000 or less if residents in Wales) may be eligible for assistance with their NHS travel expenses

Application and further info

To find out what method of transport you can use, where to apply, how to claim a refund, and where to find support, Visit www.nhs.uk

Transport for All (TfA) is a pan-impairment organisation, focusing on transport for people with disabilities.

Tfa have an Access, Rights, Advice team that can offer help with:

• Getting advice on applying for concessions such as the Freedom Pass or Blue Badge
• Making appeals if an application is turned down
• Making a complaint about problems you are facing while travelling (such as being refused access to a bus or no support at a railway station)
• Help in planning your journey around London
• Advice about your rights when travelling in London

You can also contact them with your views, ideas and concerns regarding accessible travel.

Connector Groups

Tfa have Connector Groups that are designed to bring together the leading voices in access, disability, transport and inclusion, to enable a community of people with similar goals to work together in a more strategic and effective way.

For more information, Telephone 020 7737 2339, Email contactus@transportforall.org.uk, or Visit www.transportforall.org.uk