A couple of weeks ago on the 16^th January an SNP MP, Graham Leadbitter, from Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, raised a question which refers in detail to the contributions that Audio Visual systems can make. The response from his question came from Simon Lightwood the Labour Minister for Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport).

Interestingly three others referred to the use of Audio Visual in Parliament. On 10^th January, Labour Minister Georgia Gould, The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office was responding to another question here. Earlier on the 8th January there was a significant item from the “Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [HL]” referred to in the House of Lords from the Conservative, Lord Holmes of Richmond who mentioned the work of  Audio Visual on here. Also briefly Baroness Bull, the Deputy Speaker (Lords) Crossbench Peer listed it on 30th January which is here.

The comment from Mr Leadbitter and Mr Lightwood is shown below in their document here. So far only one person has responded in support.

Graham Leadbitter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of audio-visual announcements by bus operators under the Bus Services Act 2017.

Simon Lightwood: We recognise the importance of audible and visible route and destination information in helping disabled people and other passengers to use bus services with confidence. On 1^st October 2024 the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 (“Accessible Information Regulations”) came into force, requiring vehicles first used on local services since October 2019 to comply. The majority of local services should be compliant by October 2026.

The most recent annual bus statistics indicate that 37.2% of buses in Great Britain incorporated audible and visible route and next stop information provision as at 31^st March 2024, but these statistics do not yet reflect the implementation of the Accessible Information Regulations.