Dial-a-Ride Buses Introduced for Area Around Hammersmith Bridge
Services is for elderly and disabled residents in one mile radius
Elderly and disabled people living near Hammersmith Bridge can now use Dial-a-Ride bus to get over the river.
Transport for London has expanded the service to all residents with mobility issues, not just those already signed up as members for the service.
It means the mini-bus service, which taxis residents from their homes to a pre-booked location, is now available to hundreds more people living within a mile of the bridge in West London.
It comes after the 132-year-old, Grade II*-listed crossing closed to vehicle traffic in April, when long-standing structural problems were found.
Several bus routes that once crossed the bridge were diverted, leading to reports of Richmond residents finding it difficult to attend hospital appointments in Hammersmith.
Roland James, TfL’s head of transport operations, said: “Residents who qualify for Dial-a-Ride membership and live within a mile of the bridge can now call a dedicated helpline to arrange assistance to cross the river.”
The service will use alternative bridges to cross the river.
TfL said it posted letters to 40,000 households around Hammersmith, Fulham, Chiswick and Barnes to announce the scheme.
The letter says “anyone who meets the Dial-a-Ride membership criteria” can use the service between 8am and 8pm to travel within the one-mile zone, as shown on the TfL map.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which has authority over the bridge, announced last month that the repairs will take up to three years and cost £120 million. The cost will be shouldered by TfL and the council.
To book a Dial-a-Ride, journey call the dedicated helpline on 07592 920716.
Owen Sheppard - Local Democracy Reporter
September 3, 2019