On 28 November 2024, the Australian Government released its response to the 2022 Review of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Transport Standards), alongside the final report.
The Transport Standards provide requirements for public transport operators and providers to make their services accessible and remove discrimination against people with disability.
The review’s final report identifies six opportunities for action-covering matters related to increasing public awareness, improving compliance and enforcement, the need for further reform across the public transport network and the importance of engaging people with disability in the design and implementation of public transport services.
Some of the opportunities for action are already being progressed through the reform package announced earlier this year, which will modernise the Transport Standards to ensure they remain effective. Additionally, many of the issues highlighted relating to air travel are being progressed through the implementation of the Australian Government’s Aviation White Paper. We are creating new aviation-specific disability standards, which will form part of the Transport Standards.
More than 1,000 participants, including people with disability, disability representative organisations, public transport operators and providers, as well as governments contributed to the Transport Standards review through a range of consultation activities such as surveys, webinars, focus groups and written submissions.
The experiences shared through these consultations provided invaluable insights into the effectiveness of the Transport Standards in supporting accessible public transport networks across Australia and in removing discrimination against people with disability.
The department thanks everyone who contributed to the review.
