Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and long time champion of more accessible public transport in London, commenting on the announcement that a further 13 Tube stations will be made step-free by Spring 2022, said:
“This is an incredibly welcome announcement.
“However let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture that even in four years time 60 per cent of London Underground stations will still be inaccessible for people with disabilities. Today’s announcement is just the start of making London truly accessible.
“Sadly London is still paying the price of Boris Johnson’s decision to cancel a number of step free schemes when he first became Mayor of London.
“Another important issue in London is the large number of train stations that remain inaccessible and the harm caused by the Department of Transport’s decision to push back many access improvements at stations such as Barnes, Battersea Park, Hither Green, Peckham Rye, Petts Wood, Seven Sisters, St Mary Cray and Streatham.
“Today’s announcement also needs to be reinforced by a renewed commitment by TfL to ensure that all London Underground stations remain staffed from the first to last train and that Tube stations no longer stop operating their lifts due to an absence of trained staff.”