Marsha De Cordova

Absolutely. I thank my hon. Friend for making that point so well. I am fairly certain that the Minister will have heard him loud and clear and will agree. It is so important that we get the design right. If we are seeking to do what is best, we need to know what needs to be changed, and we need to collect data on the design and location of all floating bus stops so that we can compare it with the number of collisions and injuries. I very much welcome the fact that Active Travel England will undertake further research, including a national audit and safety review of all floating bus stops, to gain an accurate picture of where such bus stops are in use, what type they are, and so on. That could really help to shape future guidance. I hope that the Minister will say a little more about when the research will commence, because I am sure that many people will welcome it. Although I appreciate that there will be an equality impact assessment of the Bill as a whole, and that impact assessments have already been produced, it is clear to me that there needs to be a particular focus on the concerns of blind and partially sighted people when it comes to shared-use bus boarders and floating bus stops, so my new clause 23 would require an equality impact assessment on their provision. If we are to have the truly accessible transport system that we are all striving for, we need to pay attention to the impact of our transport decisions on disabled people. Floating bus stops were introduced in London in 2013, and they have caused havoc. My hon. Friend the Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green (Florence Eshalomi) mentioned the one just over the bridge outside St Thomas’ hospital, but even in my own Battersea constituency they just appear, and they really do create a challenge for many—and not just for disabled people or blind and partially sighted people, but for the elderly and for families with young children and buggies. I would go so far as to say that in many respects the safety interests of some groups of road users have sometimes been treated more favourably, to the detriment of others.