2. Responding to Covid-19

2. Responding to Covid-19

Having developed a cross-portfolio role across SG, which has afforded MACS the opportunity to influence connecting policies, we have had a direct role in shaping Transport Scotland’s response to Covid-19 through our facilitation and membership of key decision making forums such as the NTS2 Delivery Board.

We have also been instrumental in producing and contributing to public guidance, including:

• Transport Transition Plans - guidance to transport operators on assisting disabled passengers; https://www.transport.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/transport-transition-plan/
• Temporary Street measures during the Coronavirus Crisis; https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/48310/temporary-street-measures-during-coronavirus-crisis-october-2020.pdf
• Coronavirus (Covid-19) guidance on safer public spaces – urban centres and green spaces; https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safer-public-places-urban-centres-and-green-spaces-covid-19

We also supported, and were supported by Third Sector organisations which represent the interests of disabled people. These organisations worked incredibly hard in difficult circumstances to raise awareness of under-appreciated issues and we used these, and our unique insights, to produce guidance for transport operators and service providers. We have also worked tirelessly to promote and share this material across our social media platforms and with our networks and stakeholders.

At strategic level MACS were invited by Transport Scotland senior officials to sit on, and feed into, the following forums:

• Transport Transition Plan National Advisory Group, which was established to align national, regional and local activities;
• Transport Transition Plan Equalities Network, which was set up to support the Impact Assessments of public transport Covid-19 measures and brings together a wide range of experts and stakeholders from Scotland’s equality community, including the Poverty and Inequality Commission, Equality and Human Rights Commission, Young Scot, Engender and Disability Equality Scotland.

MACS looks forward to continuing our engagement at a strategic level and are keen to feed into the Future of Transport Forum, which will act as an overarching engagement platform bringing together stakeholders to facilitate collective considerations and discussions on the future of the transport system in Scotland.