11/06/08 - Transport Committee Backs Bid to Save Advisory Group

Disabled people's organisations in Scotland received welcome backing today in the Scottish Parliament to save a representative group.

The Mobility & Access Committee for Scotland, known as MACS, was due to have been assigned by the SNP government to its 'bonfire of quangos' at the end of this month. This intention was announced by the First Minister on 30th January 2008.

With a majority of disabled people as members, it has for the past 6 years been a source of information and advice on how to provide disabled people with vital transport services to realise their right to equality and social inclusion. Its members have applied a range of skills, knowledge and experience acting in a voluntary capacity.

Under the government's proposals, MACS would have been taken over by another advisory body, the Public Transport Users' Committee (PTUC), on which disabled people would have formed only a small minority or been sidelined on a sub-committee. The opportunity for them to raise and follow through the issues they identified would have been severely reduced.

The Scottish Parliament's Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee took evidence from transport minister Stewart Stevenson MSP and consider a joint submission from the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance (SATA), Inclusion Scotland (IS) and the Scotttish Disability Equality Forum (SDEF).  

A motion put down by the committee's Deputy Convener,  Cathy Peattie MSP, to take no further action on the proposals was backed by Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green Party members on the committee and passed by 5 votes to 3.

Welcoming the committee's decision, Alan Rees, Secretary of SATA, said "The loss of MACS would have been a tragedy. This has been averted and now the Scottish Government should think again.

There are many ways in which MACS can work effectively with PTUC in close co-operation and both committees must be given the support and resources they need."

For further information contact:
 

Alan Rees MBE
Secretary/Treasurer
SATA
Tel/fax: 0131 315 3006
E-mail: [email protected]