Sir Jeremy Wright MP calls on Government to urgently tackle EV charging accessibility in Planning and Infrastructure Bill

1.35 million EV drivers with disabilities facing potentially unsafe and unreliable EV charging conditions without proper compliance to minimum accessibility standards.

Sir Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam, has called on the Government to back his amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to ensure public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is safe and suitable for use by the 1.35 million EV drivers with disabilities expected on UK roads.  

With the Planning and Infrastructure Bill already set to streamline the rollout of public EV charging infrastructure by granting installers a similar status to major telecoms and energy providers to undertake street works under a simpler and cheaper permit system, Sir Jeremy Wright urged the Government to go one step further in the Bill to introduce safeguards ensuring future public infrastructure will meet basic accessibility requirements for drivers with disability requirements. 

Speaking in the Commons during the Bill’s Report Stage in the House of Commons last night, Sir Jeremy urged the Government to back his “relatively modest changes, which […] could have a big impact on the ability of drivers with disabilities to use the charging network that we are asking all motorists to use.” 

Recent surveys estimate that only 2.3% of current public EV charging points meet basic accessibility requirements, resulting in a number of charging points that are potentially wholly unsuitable, or unsafe, for use by drivers with disabilities. This is despite minimum accessibility standards having been developed, under the PAS 1899 standard providing guidance for compliance with common accessibility concerns such as bay size, display screen height, and charging cable weight. Compliance with the PAS 1899 standard is solely voluntary, however. 

Speaking in the Commons last night, Sir Jeremy argued his amendment “would ensure that if voluntary compliance with PAS 1899 does not improve, the Government have powers to enforce compliance progressively. It would also allow local authorities to monitor that compliance and oblige charging point operators to collect and report data on the compatibility of individual charge points with key accessibility benchmarks”.

Sir Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam, who has tabled the amendment, says: 

“As we continue to invest in EV infrastructure, we need to make sure that it works for everyone. This amendment simply provides the tools for Government to monitor accessibility and act if voluntary progress stalls. Without this, we risk leaving behind over a million disabled drivers – not by intent, but by omission. It’s about getting ahead of a problem we already know exists, before it becomes harder and more expensive to fix.” 

While the Government did not issue a direct response to this amendment, the Bill will, at the conclusion of the Report Stage, pass over to the House of Lords where EV advocacy groups are hoping further engagement with this issue will take shape. 

Nigel Fletcher, CEO of the Motability Foundation, says: 

“We’re grateful to Sir Jeremy Wright for tabling this hugely important amendment. The accessibility of public EV chargepoints is an issue that the Motability Foundation has been raising for a number of years, and this proposal offers a vital step toward ensuring disabled EV drivers are not left behind in the UK’s transition to electric.” 

Vicky Edmonds, Chief Executive Officer of EVA England, says: 

“Making this change is an essential step for drivers with disabilities who currently have no guarantee that they can charge safely and reliably. Enshrining accessibility standards now through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill is not only the right thing to do, it’s the sensible and cost-effective approach. Without it, we risk facing costly and avoidable retrofits down the line and in the meantime, more drivers with accessibility needs facing unreliable and potentially unsafe charging conditions. We strongly hope the Government will give this practical and inclusive amendment the serious consideration it deserves as the Bill progresses through Parliament.” 

The amendment is supported by a coalition of EV advocacy groups, including the Motability Foundation, New Automotive, and the REA.

Notes to editors: 

• The amendment [amendment 141] was tabled by Sir Jeremy Wright MP on Wednesday 4 June and considered during the Planning and Infrastructure Bill Report Stage on Monday 9 June. It proposes to: 

1. Mandate that new chargepoints meet PAS 1899 accessibility standards if voluntary progress stalls, ensuring features such as kerb-free access, screen readability, and adequate space for wheelchair users. 
2. Give Government the power to monitor and intervene to ensure compliance, making accessibility a foundational element of future EV infrastructure rather than a retrofit afterthought. 

• The transcript for Sir Jeremy Wright’s intervention is the House of Commons is available here. 

• The Planning and Infrastructure Bill Report Stage ends today, 10 June, after which it will balance over to the House of Lords for consideration.