Dial-a-Ride’s policy changes for people with dementia
Transport for All
At last, some people with dementia may be permitted to use Dial-a-Ride without an escort...
At last, some people with dementia may be permitted to use Dial-a-Ride without an escort.
In the past, Dial-a-Ride’s policy (Terms & Conditions of Carriage) required passengers with a diagnosis of dementia to travel escorted when using their service ‘for reasons of safety’.
Transport for All always believed that it was unfair that Dial-a-Ride had a blanket policy to require all people with a diagnosis of dementia to travel with an escort. This is because people with dementia vary a great deal in how their condition affects them, and some are able to travel independently.
We are very pleased to inform you that after many years of lobbying for change and a meeting with Dial-a-Ride senior officers, they have now amended their Terms and Conditions of carriage which means that some people with dementia may be able to travel without an essential escort while their symptoms remain mild.
Dial-a-Ride are currently running the change in policy as a pilot only, and they are not accepting any bookings for people with dementia yet, but we will keep you updated.
We will be meeting the Dial-a-Ride Head of Passenger Services to go through their new policy in more detail, and after this we will provide feedback to you.
If you are a person with dementia and would like to use Dial-a-Ride, please contact our office for more information.
