High Court grants permission for judicial review of cuts to transport service
A High Court judge has granted permission for judicial review proceedings to be brought over a council’s changes to transport services.
In July Salford City Council announced that it would withdraw a wheelchair-adapted bus services used by disabled claimant Michael Robson to attend the St George’s Day Centre.
Robson’s lawyers, Irwin Mitchell, are challenging the decision on three grounds. They argue that Salford:
- failed to carry out the necessary assessments of people’s care needs and how they could be met;
- conducted a flawed consultation . “The legal team believe that SCC has failed to put forward sufficient reasons for the proposal to ensure proper consideration, with detail on the website failing to make it clear that the plans mean the closure of the council’s passenger transport service”;
- breached its duty under s. 149 of the Equality Act. “Specific concerns include the council’s failure to gather the information it needed in order to assess the impact of the decision on disabled people,” the law firm said.
A hearing is expected to take place in October.
Mathieu Culverhouse of Irwin Mitchell said: “The confirmation that a judicial review will be held is a welcome step forward on this issue, with the proposed cuts to transport services set to leave our client and a huge number of other people with no suitable means to access the care and support they need.
“We have numerous concerns regarding the decision, from whether proper assessments were carried out into people’s needs and if a lawful consultation was undertaken, so we are determined to ensure that our client’s voice is heard on this matter.”
The claimant’s attendance at another day centre in Stockport, SK30+, three days a week is funded by Salford CC, with his transport funded via direct payments for taxis.