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A Manifesto for accessible

transport in London

Mayoral and GLA Elec�ons 2012

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This manifesto is about the right of disabled people to be

part of the life of this great city.

In London, over a million disabled people want to live,

work, play and enjoy their lives in a capital that is

accessible to all.

Access to transport services is vital in making this

happen. However, currently a combina�on of physical

barriers, prejudice and the way services are planned

prevent many disabled and older Londoners from

ge ng from A to B and living independent lives.

Even those parts of the transport system we can use

result in longer and o#en harder

journeys than for everyone else.

TfA wants to set out a charter for change that can transform this situa�on.

Over the last few years, progress on accessibility has been made which we

welcome: there are more stepfree Tube sta�ons than ever before; every bus has

audio-visual informa�on and several sta�ons have benefited from declu*ering and

redesign. However, there have been significant recent setbacks.

In 2006, TfL announced that by 2012, a third of sta�ons would be stepfree. This

year, the target has been cut to 26% by 2018. TfL also cut their target for making

bus stops accessible, from 75% by 2018 down to 65% by the same date. Staff

assistance for disabled people has been severely reduced with the axing of

hundreds of Underground sta�on staff.

As we wait for the Olympics and Paralympics, the capital’s transport system will be

in the spotlight like no other �me before. We hope that accessible, safe and

affordable travel will be seen for what it is – not a minority issue, but an integral

part of any world-class transport system.

We hear many warm words from poli�cians and transport providers: words like

access, equality, inclusion and diversity. But words are not enough. We call on

London’s Mayoral candidates to priori�se accessibility, so that London is served by

an inclusive and accessible transport network that meets the needs of all its

ci�zens.

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Transport for All is the voice of disabled and older transport users in London. We

are a campaigning organisa�on, and offer advice and informa�on about using

accessible transport in London. We are a registered charity and free to join.

Tel: 020 7737 2339. Email: contactus@transporAorall.org.uk

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Our five key demands:

• Li& the cap placed on TfL’s contribu�on to the Taxicard service,

increasing funding by 50% over four years to meet demand.

• Ensure that at least a third of London’s Tube sta�ons are stepfree by 2018,

including from plaAorm to train

• Commit to a target of 100% of bus stops to be accessible by 2018

• Restore the 800 staff axed from the Underground to ensure assistance is

reliably available at every sta�on

• Implement penal�es for bus companies which regularly fail to meet mini-

mum standards in rela�on to access for wheelchairs; broken ramps; pulling

into the kerb and giving passengers enough �me to sit down.

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London transport

Where we are:

Inaccessible transport is perhaps the most significant barrier to the full

par�cipa�on of disabled and older people in society.

Inaccessible transport is trapping disabled people in unemployment.

23% of disabled people have had to turn down a job because of inaccessible

transport and 48% have restricted their job search because of Inaccessible

transport.1

Inaccessible transport cuts disabled people off from community and

family life. 50% say they did not see friends and family as o#en as they’d like

because of inaccessible transport.2

Inaccessible transport damages our health. 20% of disabled people find it difficult

or impossible to get the healthcare they need because of inaccessible transport.3

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60% of disabled people have no

car in their household,

compared to 27% in the

general popula�on

The cost to the Government of ex-

cluding disabled people from pub-

lic transport could be as high as

one billion pounds a year

1,2,3 Sta�s�cs from Mind The Gap, Leonard Cheshire Disability, 2003

80% of disabled people use the

Underground less than they

would like. 45% of those 70 or

over have problems

using a bus

London Underground

manages 90 public toilets at tube

sta�ons. Of these, 37 are

accessible to disabled

people

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Accessible, safe, reliable and affordable transport

We demand:

• The right to travel with the same freedom and independence as non disabled

people, free from discrimina�on

• Genuine par�cipa�on of disabled people and our organisa�ons in the planning and

monitoring of transport services

• Joined-up transport with easy transfer between bus, rail, coach, underground and

door-to-door services

• Staff available to help with all stages of a journey

• Up-to-date accessible informa�on, in a variety of formats, about what services are

available

• Bri�sh Transport Police to take strong ac�on against perpetrators of an�-social

behaviour and disability hate crime on transport services

• No access – no money: Transport for London must severely penalise companies that

do not meet their access responsibili�es, by taking access standards and

discrimina�on complaints into account when they put contracts out to tender

• No training – no contract: regular and robust Disability Equality training for all

frontline staff must be a condi�on of all contracts.

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Buses • Wheelchair ramps and audio-visual

(iBus) systems that work.

• Yearly refresher courses in Disability

Equality Training for all bus drivers,

designed and delivered with disabled

and older people

• The awarding of bus contracts to take

into account passenger complaints, to

incen�vise bus companies to priori�se

safe bus driving over speed.

• 100% of bus stops made fully accessible by 2018 (Currently 58.2%)

• A high profile publicity campaign to remind parents that they are obliged to

fold their buggy and give priority to wheelchairs in the wheelchair space.

• All new bus vehicles to include a wheelchair bay spacious enough to

accommodate a wheelchair and two

pushchairs, in line with the most

wheelchair-accessible buses already

on the roads.

• Fair and consistent guidelines on the use

of mobility scooters on buses

Access to informa�on

• A robust and independent complaints procedure that genuinely addresses

concerns

• Restora�on of the 0207 number to reach TfL; and a callback service for the

busiest �mes

• Increased publicity of the successful Travel Mentoring programme

• Leaflets about the London Underground Taxi Policy1

and all accessibility maps

to be made available at every sta�on

• Clear informa�on about changes to bus stops and routes in the event of

service disrup�on

1The Taxi policy obligates TfL to provide a disabled person with a minicab to the nearest

accessible tube sta�on, in case of a broken li# or other service disrup�on to an accessible route,

where there is no single bus alterna�ve

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In 2 out of 5 bus journeys,

passengers are not given

sufficient �me to sit down

before the bus pulls away

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Door to Door Services

• Support and funding to guarantee the

future of London’s invaluable Community

Transport schemes

• Equal access to Dial-a-Ride and

Taxicard services wherever we live in London

• Guaranteed next day and return trips on

Dial-a-Ride and Taxicard

• Fair and transparent assessment based on the social model of disability

• Double swiping on Taxicard to be available in all boroughs

• Li&ing the cap on TfL’s contribu�on to Taxicard

Concessionary Fares

• The Mayor to work with London Councils to introduce a Companion Pass,

ensuring free travel to companions of disabled people who need to travel with

a personal assistant and carer.

• A truly 24 hour Freedom Pass - end the morning peak exclusion of Freedom

Pass holders on parts of the Rail network

Underground, Tram and rail network

• At least a third of London’s Tube sta�ons stepfree to the train by 2018,

including from plaAorm to train

• Restora�on of the 800 sta�on �cket office and gateline staff at London

Underground

• Visible staff at every

sta�on throughout

opening hours, including

on the DLR

• Swi& repair of broken

li#s, so that stepfree

access is restored as soon

as possible

• Audio-visual informa�on

in all train carriages by

2018

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There are 49,066

Dial-a-Ride members and

88,836 Taxicard users in

London

Currently, just over one in 5 Tube sta�ons are step-free (62 out of 275)

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Streets

• An end to pedestrian crossings removal

• Street scene design developed in consulta�on with disabled people, clearly

indica�ng, delinea�ng and enforcing priority for pedestrians

• Traffic lights with working tac�le cone and enough �me for everyone to cross

the road safely

• A Shopmobility scheme in every town centre.

• Accessible and clean public toilets available in all town centres and transport

hubs, 24 hours a day

• Ac�on to reduce street clu*er and against illegal pavement parking, to ensure

pavements are clear.

Parking

• No exemp�on from the na�onal Blue Badge scheme for Central London:

consistent rules across all London boroughs.

• Proper enforcement of Blue Badge Parking spaces

• Increase designated Blue Badge parking spaces in Central London

by 50%.

• Fair and transparent assessments based on the social model of disability

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