More than one in 10 Londoners are excluded from large sections of the public transport network because buses, trains and stations are not accessible to people with reduced mobility - and the situation is set to get worse, says a new study from the London Assembly Transport Committee.
The detailed study reveals that there far more needs to be done to introduce step-free access and other accessibility measures, and points out that by 2031, more than a million Londoners will have reduced mobility
In particular:
- Only 10 of London’s 270 Tube stations are completely step-free all the way from street level to train. Only 61 Tube stations have step-free access from the street to the platform.
- Just one-third of London’s 300 rail stations have step-free access from street to platform.
- While all London’s buses now have ramps, only half of London’s 17,476 bus stops meet the criteria for full accessibility.
The report also shows that the number of Londoners with reduced mobility will continue to rise - to more than a million by 2031, the timescale for delivery of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
As well as failing to meet overall demand, the Committee found existing accessibility measures are not in the parts of London they are needed most: in four of the London boroughs with the highest number of residents with reduced mobility, fewer than half of bus stops and stations are accessible.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Lib Dem leader on the Assembly and Deputy Chair of the Transport Committee, said:
"It is terrible that some many Londoners can not use public transport due to accessibility problems. I hope the Mayor and TfL will take on board our recommendations"