English: I very much welcome the opportunity to debate the Petitions Committee report on ensuring access to public transport for disabled people. This was a classic example of what organisations expect to happen when you talk to people at the top of the organisation and what actually happens when disabled people try and access transport. And I think David Rowlands gave some examples of what we were told about how you could get a taxi to the next station - when I mentioned that to some disabled people, they looked at me in bewilderment. I was Chair of the Petitions Committee when Whizz-Kidz gave their evidence. Can I, as I did at the committee - but I'd like to do it now, on the record here - thank Whizz-Kidz and congratulate them for coming along to give evidence to the committee? It's not an easy thing to give evidence to a committee, and I know how nervous a lot of older adults from organisations get when they have to come and talk to committees. These were a group of young people, but they had their beliefs that they needed to get their point over, and they certainly did. Whizz-Kidz presented problems around access to train, bus and taxi services to the committee. These problems included: the inability to travel at short notice; a lack of staff training across all transport modes, which results in disabled people being made to feel like a burden or being unable to travel at all; a lack of support on trains and issues with the accessibility of trains and stations, including when lifts are not working. Whizz-Kidz also highlighted that accessibility issues can impact on a young people's ability to look for work and socialise, as travelling can be too much of a hassle - it's too much of a problem, it's too difficult. These issues can also impact on young disabled people's confidence, leaving them feeling isolated, and meaning that they don't feel equal to their peers who do not use wheelchairs. Whizz-Kids provided the committee with video evidence, which included Josh's story, which highlighted many of the barriers facing young disabled people when travelling by train in south Wales. This was on the Petitions Committee site; I think it probably still is, if it isn't, can I ask, Deputy Presiding Officer, if we can make it available from here, so that people can access it? Because it really does tell the story from the position of a young man trying to access trains. Concern was also expressed regarding the ability of people with hearing and sight loss to use public transport safely. For people with sight loss, a simple thing that could help them is the driver of a bus telling them when they get to the place they want to get off. That's a very simple thing, it doesn't need legislation, it's just good practice that should exist with bus companies. A lot of these things here that we're asking for and we need are not legislation, but good practice. The train and bus operators that gave evidence to the committee outlined the varying levels of disability awareness training provided to staff. There is currently no mandatory requirement for bus operators to require drivers to complete disability awareness training. However, First Cymru said that all bus companies were required to provide disability awareness training from 1 March as part of the driver certificate of professional competence. But, training is only of benefit if it is acted upon. It is necessary for bus companies to ensure that drivers carry out what they've been trained to do. It's pointless telling them during a training session of three hours that they've got to do things if the next day they ignore it. I attended a dementia training session with First Cymru a few years ago. The training was very good, but it needs to be acted upon, and in First Cymru's case in Swansea, it has been. The accessibility of trains and stations was also examined by the committee. The train operators stated that whilst new trains are accessible, older trains aren't. Concern was also raised around the availability and accessibility of taxis and private hire vehicles, especially at certain times of the day. The Licensed Private Hire Car Association said that, as most drivers are self-employed, taxi operators and licensing authorities cannot demand that drivers of certain vehicle types are available at certain times of day. But I think that there are ways of ensuring we get enough vehicles that can take people with guide dogs or take people in wheelchairs so that there will always be one available. To me, the clear recommendation is: introduce disability awareness training for customer-facing train and station staff under the new Wales and borders franchise, bus drivers as part of the voluntary Welsh bus quality standard, and taxi and PHV drivers. [ Inaudible.] - anyone who discriminates against disabled people out of prejudice, but we need training. We need to make sure our training is implemented. With no lack of will with the leaders of the organisations, what we need is an improvement on the implementation at operational level to ensure that what organisations think is happening, what we want to happen and what disabled people need to happen actually happens when somebody tries to access a vehicle. Thank you.
Welsh: Croesawaf yn fawr y cyfle i drafod adroddiad y Pwyllgor Deisebau ar sicrhau mynediad at drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ar gyfer pobl anabl. Roedd hon yn enghraifft glasurol o'r hyn y mae sefydliadau yn disgwyl ei fod yn digwydd pan fyddwch yn siarad â phobl ar frig y sefydliad a'r hyn sy'n digwydd mewn gwirionedd pan fydd pobl anabl yn ceisio defnyddio trafnidiaeth. Ac rwy'n credu bod David Rowlands wedi rhoi rhai enghreifftiau o'r hyn y dywedwyd wrthym ynglŷn â sut y gallech gael tacsi i'r orsaf nesaf - pan fyddwn yn sôn am hynny wrth bobl anabl, syllent arnaf mewn penbleth. Roeddwn yn Gadeirydd y Pwyllgor Deisebau pan roddodd Whizz-Kidz eu tystiolaeth. A gaf fi, fel y gwneuthum yn y pwyllgor - ond hoffwn ei gofnodi yn awr - ddiolch i Whizz-Kidz a'u llongyfarch am ddod i roi tystiolaeth i'r pwyllgor? Nid yw'n beth hawdd rhoi tystiolaeth i'r pwyllgor, a gwn pa mor nerfus y bydd llawer o oedolion hŷn o sefydliadau pan fydd yn rhaid iddynt ddod i siarad â phwyllgorau. Grŵp o bobl ifanc oedd y rhain, ond roeddent yn credu bod angen iddynt wneud eu pwynt, ac fe wnaethant hynny, yn bendant. Cyflwynodd Whizz-Kidz broblemau gyda mynediad at wasanaethau bysiau, trenau a thacsis i'r pwyllgor. Roedd y problemau hyn yn cynnwys: anallu i deithio ar fyr rybudd; diffyg hyfforddiant staff ar draws pob math o drafnidiaeth, sy'n golygu bod pobl anabl yn cael eu gwneud i deimlo fel baich neu na allant deithio o gwbl; diffyg cefnogaeth ar drenau a phroblemau gyda hygyrchedd trenau a gorsafoedd, gan gynnwys pan nad yw lifftiau'n gweithio. Nododd Whizz-Kidz hefyd y gall problemau hygyrchedd effeithio ar allu pobl ifanc i chwilio am waith ac i gymdeithasu, am fod teithio'n ormod o drafferth - mae'n ormod o broblem, mae'n rhy anodd. Gall y materion hyn effeithio ar hyder pobl ifanc anabl, gan eu gwneud i deimlo'n ynysig, sy'n golygu nad ydynt yn teimlo'n gyfartal â'u cyfoedion sydd ddim yn defnyddio cadeiriau olwyn. Rhoddodd Whizz-Kids dystiolaeth fideo i'r pwyllgor, a oedd yn cynnwys stori Josh, a dynnai sylw at nifer o'r rhwystrau sy'n wynebu pobl ifanc anabl wrth deithio ar drên yn ne Cymru. Roedd hwn ar safle'r Pwyllgor Deisebau; rwy'n credu ei fod yn debygol o fod yno o hyd, ac os nad yw, a gaf fi ofyn, Ddirprwy Lywydd, ein bod yn sicrhau ei fod ar gael o'r fan hon, fel bod modd i bobl ei weld? Oherwydd mae'n adrodd y stori o safbwynt dyn ifanc yn ceisio defnyddio trenau. Mynegwyd pryder hefyd ynghylch gallu pobl sydd â nam ar eu clyw ac ar eu golwg i ddefnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn ddiogel. Ar gyfer pobl sy'n colli eu golwg, un peth syml a allai eu helpu yw i yrrwr bws ddweud wrthynt pan fyddant yn cyrraedd lle maent am fynd oddi ar y bws. Dyna un peth syml iawn, nid yw'n galw am ddeddfwriaeth, dim ond arfer da a ddylai fod ar waith gan gwmnïau bysiau. Mae llawer o'r pethau y gofynnwn amdanynt yma ac sydd eu hangen arnom yn bethau nad ydynt yn galw am ddeddfwriaeth, ond am arfer da. Roedd y gweithredwyr trenau a bysiau a roddodd dystiolaeth i'r pwyllgor yn amlinellu lefelau amrywiol o hyfforddiant ymwybyddiaeth o anabledd a ddarperir i staff. Nid oes unrhyw ofyniad gorfodol i weithredwyr bysiau ei gwneud yn ofynnol i yrwyr gwblhau hyfforddiant ymwybyddiaeth o anabledd ar hyn o bryd. Fodd bynnag, dywedodd First Cymru fod gofyn i bob cwmni bysiau ddarparu hyfforddiant ymwybyddiaeth o anabledd o 1 Mawrth fel rhan o dystysgrif cymhwysedd proffesiynol y gyrrwr. Ond nid yw hyfforddiant o fudd oni bai ei fod yn cael ei weithredu. Mae angen i gwmnïau bysiau sicrhau bod gyrwyr yn cyflawni'r hyn y maent wedi cael eu hyfforddi i'w wneud. Nid oes diben dweud wrthynt yn ystod sesiwn hyfforddi dair awr fod yn rhaid iddynt wneud pethau os ydynt yn ei anwybyddu y diwrnod canlynol. Mynychais sesiwn hyfforddiant dementia gyda First Cymru ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl. Roedd yr hyfforddiant yn dda iawn, ond mae angen gweithredu arno, ac yn achos First Cymru yn Abertawe, mae hynny wedi digwydd. Archwiliwyd hygyrchedd trenau a gorsafoedd gan y pwyllgor hefyd. Dywedodd y gweithredwyr trenau, er bod trenau newydd yn hygyrch, nid yw hynny'n wir am drenau hŷn. Mynegwyd pryder hefyd ynghylch argaeledd a hygyrchedd tacsis a cherbydau hurio preifat, yn enwedig ar rai adegau o'r dydd. Dywedodd y Gymdeithas Ceir Hurio Preifat Trwyddedig, gan fod y rhan fwyaf o yrwyr yn hunangyflogedig, ni all gweithredwyr tacsis ac awdurdodau trwyddedu fynnu bod gyrwyr mathau penodol o gerbydau ar gael ar adegau penodol o'r dydd. Ond credaf fod yna ffyrdd o sicrhau y cawn ddigon o gerbydau a all gludo pobl â chŵn tywys neu gludo pobl mewn cadeiriau olwyn fel y bydd bob amser un ar gael. I mi, yr argymhelliad clir yw: cyflwynwch hyfforddiant ymwybyddiaeth o anabledd ar gyfer staff trenau a gorsafoedd sy'n ymwneud â chwsmeriaid o dan fasnachfraint newydd Cymru a'r gororau, gyrwyr bysiau fel rhan o safon ansawdd wirfoddol ar gyfer bysiau Cymru, a thacsis a gyrwyr cerbydau hurio preifat. [ Anghlywadwy.] - unrhyw un sy'n gwahaniaethu yn erbyn pobl anabl ar sail rhagfarn, ond mae angen hyfforddiant. Mae angen inni wneud yn siŵr y gweithredir ein hyfforddiant. Gyda'r holl ewyllys sydd gan arweinwyr y sefydliadau, yr hyn sydd ei angen arnom yw gwella gweithredu ar lefel weithredol i sicrhau bod yr hyn y mae sefydliadau'n meddwl sy'n digwydd, yr hyn rydym eisiau iddo ddigwydd a'r hyn y mae pobl anabl angen iddo ddigwydd, yn digwydd mewn gwirionedd pan fydd rhywun yn ceisio mynediad at drafnidiaeth. Diolch.