Leading rail retailing technology company Parkeon joined government officials at a special event designed to help young people with learning disabilities travel with confidence on the UK rail network.
Caxton Youth Organisation, which promotes independent living, led the ‘Travel with Confidence’ event in Westminster to encourage discussion over how barriers to using public transport could be overcome.
During the session, the Caxton members were able to experience real life travel situations, such as using travel apps and purchasing rail tickets – using a functioning ticket vending machine provided by Parkeon – while engaging with Department for Transport officials.
Parkeon’s Paul Moirano commented: “Ensuring access to the UK public transport network for all members of society is a key strategic aim for government, so we were very pleased to lend our support to an event that looked at potential barriers.
“As a company, we are working very closely with the Rail Delivery Group and DfT to enhance the passenger experience because rail ticket retailing is fundamental to daily life, and must be easy to use. That’s why we’ve introduced innovations such as video links from our machines to customer service centres to make buying tickets as straightforward as possible for everyone.”
Rose Swainston, Lead Youth Worker for Caxton’s Independence Programme, said: “The most important part of the day was that young people were listened to by the Department for Transport and Parkeon. They voiced their opinions about the accessibility of travel and any difficulties they had using ticket machines. They also had a lot of fun, particularly buying tickets to cities all over England.”
