Our meeting was very productive. As you know, we had concerns regarding the transport arrangements that we had already been given, particularly in relation to the venues of Celtic Park and Hampden and the spaces that were allocated to blue badge holders. The concern was that people with additional needs—not necessarily blue badge holders—would not be catered for.
My opinion, following our meeting, is that that is not the case. Glasgow 2014 has been working since January or February 2013 on a programme to deliver the games for everyone and to make them accessible not only for those with a disability but for the elderly and for people taking a pram or buggy, or who have lots of children. All volunteers who have been recruited by Glasgow 2014 have had additional training, and they will be aware of what to look for when people are using public transport. If they see someone struggling as they are walking to the venue, wherever it may be, they can ask them certain questions and devise an alternative route for them.
One hundred and sixty volunteers have been given additional training. They will be at the venues, so that whoever is approached initially can refer people on to them if they cannot deal with the problem. It came up in discussion that someone might break their leg a few weeks before the games, for example, and they might not have highlighted that as a concern. The view of the organising committee members whom we met was that it will be possible to cater for that situation.
Accessible tickets were available when people booked online or on the phone, and the staff asked the relevant questions. Some of us might have been confused about that and I asked whether that applied only to people with a blue badge. Would the person be separated from the rest of their party at the games? That is clearly not the case—the aim is to keep everyone together as much as possible. We were told that people who had carers were getting a free ticket for them. Even people who do not have an accessible ticket can phone the booking line when they receive their tickets and point out that they have additional needs. That might not necessarily apply to the ticket; it could involve walking to the ground, or whatever. They will receive as much practical information and help as possible.
I raised the matter of traffic management plans, specifically in relation to Motherwell and its train station, as well as the flow of traffic coming through. The organising committee members said that they would work with the traffic management plans and with local authorities in that regard. They did not foresee any problems, but anyone who has concerns can flag them up and the organisers will try their best to address them before the games start. I did not get the impression that the organising committee has come up with a final plan and is not prepared to change it. If there are additional concerns, the committee will consider them and will continue with best practice.
From the people we spoke to, it came across strongly that they see this work as part of the legacy of the games. They have learned from the Olympics and Paralympics, and they want all the sporting venues to be accessible to everyone. We heard about how Tollcross swimming pool has been adapted for disabled use. That should be the benchmark for all other pools in Scotland, so that they can be used with dignity. The convener raised the issue of elderly people using pools. Given our growing health issues, people are being asked to do swimming and various other things, so we need to consider accessibility. The chief executive thought that that could be part of the legacy of the games and said that the organising committee would try to share best practice where possible.