Passenger Focus has just published a survey of Passenger Assist, carried out last summer. In Spring 2012 Assisted Passenger Registration System for rail travel was replaced by a new service "Passenger Assist". This is where disabled travellers can book for assistance 24 hours in advance.
Passenger Focus does secret shopper surveys every two years, and this was the first look at the new service. Also, for the first time they had two cognitively impaired secret shoppers (Asperger's Syndrome) who between them made seven journeys and reported their experiences.
Regular posters/visitors on here may recall about a year or two back, someone arranged passenger help for their AS son, only to be ignored by the rail staff member assigned, because he couldn't see a disability. So it is important to find out if there have been any improvements.
The secret shoppers, across a range of disabilities, made 119 journeys, some return journeys, filling in 238 survey forms. Ten wheelchair users undertook 40 journeys; eleven mobility impaired made 44 journeys, nine visually impaired made 28 return journeys.
Overall 21% of passengers didn't receive any of the help they had booked in advance. This seems to be a training and awareness issue. In some cases the bookings aren't being passed on to staff. Few staff had written details of the services required, and often had to have it explained by the passengers.
Guess who got the worst service....................you've guessed it, the people with Asperger's Syndrome. So NAS please take note and make a stand for us with the train operators and network rail. The survey showed that some staff appear to judge these travellers as not requiring help or not entitled to it.
Here are some comments from the cognitively impaired passengers:
"The train was twenty minutes late coming into the station so the buggy driver was there waiting for me. I found the staff in London very different, they seemed to do the minimum they could, lots going on. I might just as well have been a parcel to them."
"I had to ask station staff to help me and show me to my seat. It was a bit awkward to have to ask him to help me. He didn't tell me what he was going to do and I need to be told as it helps me to understand".
"It would be nice if staff had some understanding about what people of my condition need. It's the lack of communication that upsets me or leaves me feeling nervous"
"I don't think he understood what I needed. I had to think about my situation and what I thought I needed and he told me they only cater for mobility issues".
Pretty disgraceful attitude all round - our rail services continue to drag their feet on disability - they charge enough for poor service. And our Government, I guess, is not the sort to make them comply.
NAS Moderators - please pass this to Campaigns. It needs a follow up with MPs
