In the London Assembly, Caroline Pidgeon pressed the Mayor to review issues with accessibility on the Elizabeth Line – following reports from travellers with disabilities that they have been unable to board due to a lack of level access or boarding ramp.
Earlier this month, a video by Katie Pennick went viral, amassing almost 3 million views, after Katie was left stranded at Maryland station due to the ticket office being closed and no member of staff around to help with the manual boarding ramp. Caroline also raised the issue of a lack of tactile paving on some platform edges on the line such as at Hanwell Station.
During her exchange with the Mayor, Caroline highlighted that the Elizabeth Line is supposed to be the jewel in the crown of Transport for London’s network and should be the exemplar of a truly accessible transport service, yet passengers are still experiencing problems.
Previously in July's Mayor's Question Time, Caroline asked why under current plans there will be no level boarding at the planned £1.7 billion Old Oak Common Station.
The Mayor has agreed to look at staffing on the line as well as a wider audit into tactile paving at stations.
Commenting, Caroline said:
“I am pleased that the Mayor of London has agreed to look into the issue of accessibility on the Elizabeth Line as part of a wider audit.
“TfL has a clear service commitment that all Elizabeth Line stations are staffed from the first to the last train, with a 'turn up and go' service offered to anyone needing assistance.
“We must do better when it comes to ensuring public transport is truly accessible for all Londoners.”
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