Equality and Human Rights Commission

This section aims to help you understand your rights when using public transport networks throughout England, Wales and Scotland, and when travelling by air to or from Europe. It looks at what levels of access you can expect from public transport providers – both vehicle access and the availability of timetable information. It also outlines the laws governing access to transport and what you can do if you feel a particular service is excluding you or treating you less well than other members of the public.

Current rights legislation specifically covering transport primarily addresses issues of access. This section therefore focuses on problems that may be encountered by disabled people, although in some cases rights may also cover other members of the public. For air travel, the rights cover anyone who has difficulty moving around, for example, because of their disability, age or a temporary injury. If you encounter discrimination while using public transport in Britain on the basis of your race, religion, sexual orientation or gender, or you want more information on these issues, you should also consult other relevant sections of this site. It is not yet unlawful to discriminate against someone on the grounds of age when providing a service.

Here you can find out about:

• general transport issues – where you might encounter discrimination in the British transport system and where it might be unlawful
• using public transport – examples of issues that apply to planes, trains, buses and boats as well as stations, stops, airports and timetables
• using your own transport – issues and rights related to parking in public and privately owned areas
• air travel - under new European law, if you are disabled or have difficulty moving around you can receive assistance when you fly to and from Europe.