Assisted Travel: Some leaves on the line
The service quality disabled people experience needs improvement
You can listen to the main article in this newsletter (read by me).
Hello everyone,
Assisted Travel is vital for disabled passengers, especially in a railway system with big gaps and huge steps between the train and the platform. However, the regulator ORR’s recent report reveals that assisted travel experienced some blocks on the tracks in 2023-2024.
The percentage of users greeted by staff within a reasonable timeframe has fallen from 84% in 2022-2023 to 80% this year. Even more concerning, the number of passengers left stranded without any assistance has climbed from 7% to 10%.
Only 76% received the assistance booked
And it doesn’t stop there. Only 76% of users received all the assistance they booked, down from 81% last year. That’s every fourth booked journey that goes wrong. Not included are journeys that are so-called “turn up and go” trips, when staff provide assistance that hasn’t been booked.
Imagine you’re commuting five days a week, and every second day, something goes wrong. By the way, that’s exactly my experience at the moment; every 2nd trip I take includes some kind of assistance drama. I was carried over to Dartford this week again. I have nothing against Dartford, but I would like to decide for myself when I go there. It's clear that some disabled passengers feel they've booked first-class but ended up in the luggage van.
For passengers with non-visible impairments, satisfaction stands at 84%, dropping to 79% for those who are neurodivergent. Those using wheelchairs or mobility aids fare slightly better, but still, only 83% are happy. On the flip side, those aged 65 and over without physical or mental health conditions have a 92% satisfaction rate. So people who don’t identify as disabled are happy, the disabled people not so much. To clarify, these are often people who ask for luggage assistance, not a ramp.
Not even 1/3 of passengers complained
Only 29% of dissatisfied passengers have filed a complaint. Whether it’s due to a lack of awareness or the daunting process of filing a complaint, this is a clear signal that complaint numbers are not a reliable tool to measure customer satisfaction.
The journey gets even rockier for those facing disruptions like delays or cancellations. A whopping 42% of these passengers weren’t contacted to arrange alternative transport, up from 40% last year.
Assisted travel is indispensable, especially for those who need an accessible environment. The recent decline in service quality is concerning.
So, what’s the next stop?
Enhancing the reliability of staff assistance, ensuring all booked services are delivered, and making the complaints process easier. The new government has a lot to do.
Then, learn from the complaints and investigations. There is no point in having complaints and investigations if nobody takes action.
It’s really important to get Assisted Travel back on track and ensure every disabled passenger’s journey is as smooth as possible. At the moment, travelling by train is more like an adventure, and that’s not what passengers bought a ticket for.
I would be happy if you could recommend the newsletter to colleagues and friends!
Have a great week!
Christiane Link
Some interesting links
Visit England has analysed how the spending power of disabled people impacts tourism businesses. Disabled people spend more and are responsible for 24% of domestic overnight trips in England in 12 months and 20% of tourism day visits in England.
Spinal cord injury cases in the UK were drastically underestimated. New data reveals that the number of people injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury is approximately double that previously estimated. There are 4400 new cases every year.
Apple’s iOS 18 will come with some new accessibility features on its iPhones: eye tracking, vocal shortcuts and more .
Something to watch
This is a bus stop in Brazil.
[Video description: A high floor bus next to a bus stop around 2 meters above the ground. The doors of the bus open, and ramps automatically bridges the huge gap between the bus stop platform and the bus.]
Something to listen to
Andy Byford ran the largest transit systems on three continents, and he saved the Elizabeth Line as Commissioner for Transport at Transport for London after working in Australia, Canada and New York. In an in-depth interview with the podcast “Three Signals”, he reflects on his work and mentions accessibility, too.
Some final words
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Who is writing this newsletter?
I’m Christiane Link, and I improve the customer experience in aviation, transport, and travel. I worked as a journalist for over two decades and travelled extensively for business and leisure. I’m a wheelchair user.
Work with me
Whether you're a Customer service director, a Head of Customer Experience, a corporate Accessibility manager, a DEI leader, a transport planner, or a disabled employee resource group member, I can help you to make your organisation more inclusive. You can book me for speaking engagements or hire me as a consultant for your accessibility or DEI strategy, communications advice and other related matters. I have worked for airlines, airports, train operators, public transport providers, and companies in other sectors.
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