Convener’s Introduction

I write this year’s Annual Report in the knowledge that this will be my last opportunity to update you in this way as my eight years with MACS ends in December 2024.

They say the “last mile” of the journey can be the hardest and I look on my last year as that last mile and want to make sure I get my team home safe and in an outstanding position for the next stage of their journey, with a new leader and fresh ideas.

This has been another busy year for my team as three of our long serving members stood down and we welcomed four new members into the fold. Our succession plan and approach to recruitment ensured we minimised the loss of knowledge and experience by building in sufficient handover and mentoring time.

This year, and after several years of advocating and messaging, our approach was acknowledged with the focus on MACS Triple A Check (that public transport should be Available, Accessible and Affordable) in the First Ministers Policy Prospectus (A Fresh Start for Scotland) in April 2023, dropping into Programme for Government (PfG) in September 2023 and Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition and Minister for Transport’s portfolios for sustained focus.

This is a very welcome development, and we hope it will strengthen the focus on how essential it is for our transport system to meet disabled people needs, particularly as we seek to switch (where we can) to more sustainable modes of travel whilst ensuring a just transition in our journey to net zero.

We are aware that many disabled people rely heavily on their car as their mobility aid, and we have been strong in our approach to ensure these needs are central to plans and strategies and to make sure disabled people are treated as individuals and are not inadvertently designed out. It is important that we can all get about and stay connected. We have continued to promote transport as an enabler of human rights.

We are hopeful that this increased focus on MACS Triple A check through the First Minister’s Policy Prospectus, PfG, and across ministerial and government portfolios will, in turn, “close the mobility gap”, thus reducing inequalities and helping to close the “Disability Employment Gap” by making it easier to travel to retain and seek employment.

Before moving into the body of this report I would like to thank my Team once again, a board of dedicated individuals who work tirelessly for our cause. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with my team and previous MACS members over the years and have learned so much from their sharing of knowledge, experiences and in the knowledge of their unwavering support over my two terms as Convener.

It is worth saying again that they really are a board of human right defenders who take every opportunity to speak up for the needs of disabled people, so no one is left behind.

I would like to thank our Sponsors from Transport Scotland’s (TS) Transport Strategy and Analysis Directorate, the other policy teams within TS and the stakeholders we have engaged with this year. We are grateful for your time and contribution to help progress our valuable work. Thank you for working so productively with us to deliver much needed change.

I would also like to thank Scottish Government Minister’s and in particular the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop MSP, for always having an “open door” to MACS and for being so receptive to our asks aimed at improving transport and travel for disabled people and older people. We have seen a few Cabinet and Ministerial changes this year and, during this, doors (and ears) have remained open.

The MACS journey continues, and we give you our commitment that our work will focus on the delivery of a transport system that is accessible, easy to use and affordable for all. We continue to advocate the need for a strengthened focus on pedestrian infrastructure, inclusive environments and tackling the barriers within the first and last mile of every journey. This approach will also assist with reducing social isolation and loneliness.

Our strengthened work-streams stand ready to work with you all.

We know that access and inclusion should “be a given” and can at times be an afterthought but I do believe with the work of MACS, and the strengthened focus from the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland, that we will see further improvements that will close the mobility gap and reduce inequalities. We all deserve no less!

I would like to sign off my final Annual Report by thanking you all once more for your support during my two terms as Convener of a Board that has been tasked with a demanding and crucial role, especially in challenging times, and particularly challenging for disabled people.

Yours Sincerely

Linda Bamford
National Convener
Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS)

During April 2023 to March 2024, MACS consisted of the Convener and up to 14 members. The committee members were:

  • Linda Bamford (Convener)
  • Simon Watkins (Vice Convener)
  • Anne MacLeod (appointed 2023)
  • Catherine Barile
  • Elliot Cooper
  • Joanne Devitt
  • Leslie Macinnes
  • Lynn Pilkington (appointed 2023)
  • Lynsey Shovlin
  • Michael Tornow
  • Naghat Ahmed
  • Nariese Whyte (appointed 2023)
  • Susan Fulton
  • Zara Todd (appointed 2023)
  • David Hunter (stepped down in 2023)
  • Hilary Stubbs (stepped down in 2023)
  • Graham Dunn (stepped down in 2024)