13 October 2011 Trailblazers campaigners secure meeting with Minister for Transport
West Midlands Trailblazers Ambassador Jagdeep Sehmbi from Birmingham had an important and successful day in the Houses of Parliament yesterday. 
Jagdeep witnessed Prime Minister's Questions with her MP Jack Dromey, and later supported Mr Dromey and other MPs as they quizzed Transport Minister Mike Penning during a Westminster Hall debate on access to public transport. The pair were intervied by ITV news after the meeting too.
The debate had been secured by Lisa Nandy MP and Trailblazers' public transport experiences and our End of the Line report were quoted by her and many other MPs throughout the debate.
Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Young Disabled People, Paul Maynard MP told the Minister of a Trailblazers campaigning success:
I shall mention a success from the Trailblazers campaign. Carrie-Ann Fleming, who lives in Kendal, often had to wait an hour at a bus stop for the right disabled-access bus to come along. She thought that that was not good enough, so she launched a campaign and fought really hard.... and the council will alter the timetables to ensure that she can get on a bus without having to wait an hour.
The debate was well attended by young campaigners and the MPs called for a meeting with a Transport Minister and Trailblazers campaigners.
The Minister also agreed to set up a new working group to replace the recently abolished Disabled Persons Transport Committee. Trailblazers will now be driving home our ideas and findings from the End of the Line report and make sure our opinions and voices are heard in this new working group.
Speaking about the campaign Jagdeep said:
Once, travelling by bus, the driver didn't drive up to the pavement, not because he couldn't, but because it was easier for him to drive off after the other passengers had got on.
Today has been a really valuable experience.Working with my MP to improve transport in the UK is something that makes me proud to be a Trailblazer.
Jack Dromey MP for Birmingham, Erdington said:
I fully support Jagdeep's campaign and I will back her fight for better transport access every step of the way.
It's important that we hold the Transport Minister to account on this topic - too often disabled people simply don't have the confidence to use public transport, due to the kinds of experiences uncovered by people like this young lady.
If you would like more information about our campaign or to attend a regional event please get in touch.
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