All Student Vote (Spring 2024)
Warwick SU For Accessible Transport
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This motion regards the improvemnt of accessible transport offering to and from Campus.
The Union Notes:
1. That from the 22nd December 2023, West Midlands Bus on Demand ("the Bus on Demand") saw an alteration in its service where it would "no longer serve Wellesbourne Campus, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa or Warwick Parkway Station.
2. That the justification given for this was : "because funding was previously provided through the Future Mobility Zone, in partnership with Warwick University. As the funding will now come fully from Transport for West Midlands, we have decided to focus on the West Midlands area to ensure the best value for money for taxpayers." Changes to the West Midlands Bus on Demand service Transport for West Midlands (tfwm.org.uk)
3. That Warwick SU has been working on improving the transport offering for students, through the Better Buses Campaign.
4. That the Bus on Demand Service is highlighted by University staff members, particularly during the Early Arrivals Programme for disabled students.
5. That the Autism at Warwick and Warwick Enable leadership have both expressed a desire for this service to be restored to full capacity.
6. That Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), which can be used to pay for alternative transport arrangements for home students, has not risen in line with inflation, increasing costs for recipients.
7. That DSA is not available for any international students.
This Union Believes:
1. That access to accessible and afford able transport is a vital part of student life.
2. That disabled students particularly benefit from the Bus on Demand Service, as it enables them to travel at convenience, rather than relying on overcrowded and inaccessible public buses.
3. That since it is a collective union priority to improve bus transport, it would not be appropriate to mandate one specific officer.
This Union Resolves:
1. To mandate the Full Time Officer Team, through the Cost of Living Transport Workstream, to push for the restoration of the funding provided by the University of Warwick to the Bus on Demand service.
2. To mandate the Full Time Officer Team, supported by the Widening Participation Officer to push for university subsidised methods of transport for students who cannot afford the commute to and from campus.
3. To mandate the Full Time Officer Team to liaise with Warwickshire District Council and the University Transport team to explore alternative solutions if necessary.