Corporate report

DPTAC Main Committee meeting minutes March 2026

Updated 15 April 2026

10:30am to 3:30pm, Wednesday 18 March 2026, Department for Transport (DfT) Birmingham and online.

Attendees

DPTAC: Sue Sharp (Interim chair and Meeting chair), Carly Jones MBE, Damian Bridgeman, David Sindall, Edward Trewhella, Erin Pritchard, Mark Cutter, Mari Martiskainen, Mary Doyle, Miro Griffiths MBE, Paul Finnegan, Rachael Mole, Ruth Murran, Victoria Armstrong and Zamila Skingsley.

Officials: Holly Greig (Deputy Director, Integrated National Transport Strategy Programme), Liz Wilson (Deputy Director, Accessibility, Community Transport, Coaches and Taxis), Rosie Snashall (Deputy Director, TSC Implementation), Cross Modal Accessibility Team, Law Commission, Legislation Policy Team and DPTAC Secretariat.

Welcome, conflicts of interest and minutes of previous main meeting 

The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited each person to briefly introduce themselves.  

No real, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest were declared.  

The minutes from the previous meeting were noted with no comments from attendees.

Law Commission review of transport accessibility legislation

The Law Commission provided an overview of its forthcoming review of the legal framework governing the accessibility of transport for disabled people.

Commissioned by the Department for Transport in response to the Transport Select Committee’s Access Denied report, the review will consider legislation across all transport modes with the aim of simplifying and modernising the law, supporting end to end journeys, and ensuring it remains effective as technology and travel patterns evolve. The review will run until January 2029, with a public consultation planned around September 2027.

Law Commission representatives outlined their role as an independent law reform body and emphasised the importance of embedding the lived experience of disabled people throughout the review. Members welcomed the proposed approach, highlighting the value of inclusive, accessible engagement that reflects the diversity of disabled people’s experiences, including intersectionality, intermodality, and the realities of unpredictability and disruption in everyday travel. The importance of clear, accessible communications and a range of engagement methods was also noted.

Accessible Travel Charter (ATC) update

The committee also received an update from the Cross Modal Accessibility Team on the development of the Accessible Travel Charter. Officials outlined progress on the vision document and the enhanced passenger rights guidance, explaining how earlier DPTAC feedback had informed improvements to structure, clarity, audience focus, and accessibility, including the provision of accessible formats. Members welcomed the opportunity to review revised drafts ahead of publication and discussed the importance of clear communication, proportionate monitoring, and articulating the intended impact of the charter. Ongoing engagement with DPTAC was welcomed as work progresses to the next stage of developing charter principles and pledges later in the year.

Rail reform

DfT officials provided an update on the progress of the Railways Bill, outlining its progress through Parliament and the forthcoming stages in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They explained the purpose of each part of the legislative process and confirmed that the bill has now completed its Commons Committee Stage. 

Officials also highlighted the key themes that have emerged during parliamentary scrutiny and reflected on the evidence presented to the Transport Select Committee, before setting out proposed ways of working with the committee as the bill continues its passage. Members welcomed the commitment to continued collaboration, noting that the Rail Working Group will serve as a key forum for further discussion and input as the bill progresses.

Better Connected: integrated national transport strategy

DfT officials provided an update on the development of Better Connected (formerly integrated national transport strategy), outlining its purpose, context, and progress towards publication.

The strategy seeks to bring greater coherence to the transport system through a people focused approach, ensuring transport meets the needs of users across different places and communities. Officials outlined the context and confirmed that publication was expected imminently, with the final draft to be shared with the committee in advance.

The committee was briefed on the extensive engagement and evidence base underpinning the strategy. Key themes emerging from this work included the importance of reliability, safety, affordability, accessibility, and ease of use. Insights from disabled people, older people, women and girls, and neurodivergent people were highlighted, alongside strong alignment between engagement findings and existing departmental research.

Next meeting

The next DPTAC main meeting is scheduled for 17 June 2026.