Modernised scope and references: start with the rules that apply to you
The proposed 2025 amendment refreshes Part 1 of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (DSAPT). It replaces several legacy definitions and introduces contemporary references including AS 1428.1:2021, AS 1428.4.2:2018, AS 1428.5:2021, AS EN 301 549:2020, WCAG 2.1 and Unified English Braille. It also clarifies terms such as access path, boarding device, fixed and removable gangway, direct assistance and accessible vehicles.
Why this matters for people with disability
Clear scope reduces the “that requirement does not apply here” problem. It supports more consistent journeys across premises, infrastructure, vehicles, physical touchpoints and digital services. The draft also makes accessibility of online and ICT services a much more visible part of transport access.
What changes for operators and providers
Your existing compliance register may cite superseded standards or use old asset labels. The operational risk is not only technical: procurement briefs, drawings, maintenance instructions, staff procedures and digital contracts can drift apart. The draft also expressly brings charter flights into the conveyance definition and clarifies an airport exclusion, so service classification should be checked rather than assumed.
Strategic implementation process
- Build a single obligation register that maps each asset and customer channel to the proposed clause and applicable standard.
- Identify contracts, design guides and policies that still cite legacy references.
- Require designers and suppliers to state which edition is being applied and provide objective evidence.
- Use a disability reference group to check that changed terminology produces understandable, not merely compliant, customer information.
This is draft legislation. Confirm the final instrument and incorporated standards before treating this as a compliance determination.
Need an implementation baseline?
We can help convert the draft into an asset, digital-service and procurement register that your teams can act on.