Explanatory Notes

Disability Discrimination Act 2005

2005 CHAPTER 13

7 April 2005

Summary

Transport

v)

Section 5: provide that the current exemption from section 19 to 21 of the DDA (which deal with the provision of goods, facilities and services to the public) for transport services extends only to transport vehicles themselves, and create a power to enable that exemption to be lifted for different vehicles at different times and to differing extents;

vi)

Section 6: amend the definition of ‘rail vehicle’ in Part 5 of the DDA to enable rail vehicle accessibility regulations to be applied to all rail vehicles, enable the regulations to be applied to the refurbishment of rail vehicles, clarify and extend the current power to grant exemptions from the requirements, change the exemption process and include a requirement for the Secretary of State to produce an annual report on the making of exemptions;

vii)

Section 7: introduce new provisions requiring rail vehicle accessibility compliance certificates to be obtained for prescribed rail vehicles;

viii)

Section 8: replace the existing criminal offence for use of a rail vehicle which does not conform with rail vehicle accessibility regulations with a civil enforcement system, and set out the procedure for imposing civil penalties, including a right of appeal to a court;

ix)

Section 9: amend the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 so as to provide for the recognition in England and Wales of disabled persons’ parking badges issued outside Great Britain;