A Manifesto for accessible transport in · PDF fileinto the kerb and giving passengers eno˛gh...
Transcript of A Manifesto for accessible transport in · PDF fileinto the kerb and giving passengers eno˛gh...
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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: [email protected]
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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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