Local Assembly Member Attacks "Scandal" of Inaccessible Stations
Nicky Gavron finds nine out of 13 in borough have no disabled access
Local London Assembly Member Nicky Gavron has described as a "scandal" the fact that nine out of 13 stations in Hammersmith and Fulham have no disabled access. And she is asking Mayor Boris Johnson to build on the momentum of the Paralympic Games and make London's transport truly accessible.
New analysis carried out by Labout London Assembly Member Nicky showed that the lack of access in our borough for disabled and less able Londoners and visitors is typical of the city as a whole.
She found:
119 of London’s 436 Underground stations have no disabled access - and neither do stations either side
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17 stations can only be used to change trains and are not accessible from the street – including Blackfriars, Euston and Oxford Circus
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44 stations only have street to platform access, not to trains
Accessible transport remains one of the major barriers to disabled people getting about the borough. One in ten Londoners are excluded from large parts of the transport network because of mobility issues, according to a report by the London Assembly carried out in 2010.
The report included maps which compare the full extent of the tube and Overground system in London with the few that are accessible for people with limited mobility, with step free access from platform to street. It shows stations in Central London are almost totally inaccessible.
"Getting around London without the use of a car should be as easy as possible for as many people as possible," says Nicky. " Part of ensuring this means underground stations with disability access. We need leadership from the Mayor and a clear statement of when these tube stations will have step free access.
"The Paralympic Games have been a huge success and inspiring - we now need to build on the momentum from the games and deliver a lasting legacy for our tube network by making it truly accessible for all.
" It is a scandal that more than two-thirds of stations in Hammersmith and Fulham are inaccessible for disabled Londoners, the elderly, and parents with buggies and that they don’t have the same travel opportunities that other Londoners have.
" If the Mayor is serious about ensuring these are 'the most accessible Game ever' and that London 2012 makes a lasting legacy in this city then he needs a costed plan to make all of our stations accessible."
September 14, 2012
