Transport for London

This information was submitted by Transport for London 12 May 2006

Buses

• London already has the world’s largest fleet of wheelchair accessible buses.
• TfL has delivered a full fleet of low floor buses, a total of more than 8000 vehicles on 700 routes. 
• On doors opening audible warnings and ramp deployment different audible.
• CCTV across all fleet gives driver constant sight of the wheelchair bay.
• The London bus network covers the whole city and more than 90% of all households are within 400 metres of a bus service.
• Under the Borough Spending Plan programme TfL is also allocating funding for local authorities to improve the access around bus stops.
• As part of the BTEC qualification, all drivers and service controllers are required to participate in a Disability Equality training seminar.  The focus of this training will be to raise awareness of the issues faced by disabled customers in using buses and to provide staff with the skills to meet their needs more effectively.
  The Disability Equality training covers the following key areas:
  – An understanding of the ‘Equality’ approach to disability
  – Some key facts and figures about disabled people in the UK
  – Consideration of the types of disability likely to be encountered e.g. wheelchair users, visually impaired, hearing impaired, people with learning difficulties, people with epilepsy etc…
  – Obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (and amendments)
  – Appropriate use of language
  – Principles of good customer service (applies equally to non-disabled customers)
  – Appropriate use of equipment e.g. wheelchair ramps
  
• A specialist training provider is utilised to train operators’ and training providers’ staff in delivering the course.
  The Disability Equality training is designed to underpin TfL’s commitment to Equality.
• TfL has given strict instructions to the bus operating companies with regard to ramp maintenance including:

Every Day - The bus operating companies insist that drivers check ramps on buses every morning of service. If a ramp on a bus does not work, it does not go into operation. If the ramp fails during service the bus is changed at the earliest opportunity.

      Every  3/4 weeks - Ramps are checked again during the vehicle’s engineering audit

      Every 3 months - An independent audit is carried out on operators by the Freight Transport Association

Should any operators not achieve the required pass rate for working ramps financial penalties can be incurred. 

• 45 stations out of 275 are currently step – free to the platforms. 13 of these are on the Jubilee line
• The newest part of the Underground (Jubilee line extension), from Westminster to Stratford was designed to be accessible;
• The Public Private Partnership (PPP) investment programme promises to deliver 16 more stations with step free access to their platforms, due to be completed between 2005 and 2010;
• Platform humps are currently being evaluated as a means of making the transfer from platform to train more accessible.
• Work of the Accessibility Team - all new staff receive Disability Equality training.

What are we planning to do now:

• More Step-free access - the Mayor and TfL’s Commissioner have expressed a desire to see at least 25% of the Tube network to become step-free by 2010 and half become accessible by 2015; TfL is investing £10bn over the next five years to improve and expand London’s transport network, more than half of that in the Tube. To achieve this network by 2020 requires funding to make a further 60–100 stations step-free. 16 are funded by TfL’s 5 Year Investment Programme through the PPP with the TfL 5 Year Investment Programme committed to funding further stations, the appraisal of which is underway. To reach the target of a 50% step-free network will require further funding and TfL will be applying to Government for major project investment in the Treasury Spending Review of summer 2006.
• Train refurbishment, will start with the District line fleet and will include the provision of multi-purpose areas capable of accommodating wheelchair users, children in buggies and customers encumbered with luggage
• More and more visible Help and Information points with induction loops. Station announcements audible through induction loops in ticket halls, routeways and platforms. Tactile paving at stations (steps, platforms, information). And accessible toilets at step-free stations.

Docklands Light Railway

• The Docklands Light Railway was built with step free access and has rolling stock refurbished to meet the latest Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations

Public Carriage Office

• The PCO is the first licensing authority to address the needs of people with a disability. This has led to London being one of the cities to have a Black cab system that is wheelchair accessible – all cabs carry ramps and drivers are trained in there use - and all vehicles have colour contrasting handrails.
• The on-going licensing of mini cabs will also standardise the rules applicable to all sections of cab trade e.g. with regard to picking up passengers with guide dogs.

Private Hire Operator database is due to go live via Travel Information Call Centre (020 7222 1234) in May. Customers can find the location of the nearest mini-cab office with accessible vehicles

London Rail

London Rail is working with National Rail to ensure that, within the GLA boundary, safety, accessibility and passenger facilities are improved on stations and trains. Elephant and Castle station has recently benefited from this.

Full CCTV coverage and new Help Points have been positioned on each platform. The Help Points have induction loops which help deaf people who use a hearing aid to hear sounds more clearly by cutting out background noise. ‘Wayfinding’ signage has been upgraded allowing passengers to find their way around with ease and now includes Braille and DDA compliant platform seating has been installed on every platform. This provides space for guide dogs and is designed to help customers with vision problems.

Dial-A-Ride

Dial-A-Ride Travel Assistance Scheme offers advice on planning an accessible journey and can provide someone to accompany the passenger the first few times they try to use a low floor bus, accessible Tube route or overground train service. They offer assistance between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. Travel assistance is free of charge to participants.

Streets

Work to make London’s streets more accessible for disabled users falls into two main projects; making pedestrian road crossings more user-friendly, and improving bus stop accessibility.

Pedestrian crossings

• dropped kerbs to give users a smooth transition from pavement to road
• tactile street paving to signify a crossing to sight-impaired people
• tactile cones to alert visually impaired pedestrians when it is safe to cross. These thimble sized devices which protrude from the underside of the pushbutton box, and rotate when the green man is lit
• audible signs and signals

Bus stop accessibility

• ensuring bus stops are at a reasonable standard for use by accessible buses
• examining pavement width and kerb height to provide easiest access to transport
• maintaining a high standard of up-to-date information at bus stops
• ensuring that the right parking restrictions are in place to keep buses on the move

River Services

Transport for London owns and operates eight piers on the River Thames that are all fully accessible. These are at Millbank, Westminster, Embankment, Blackfriars, Bankside, Tower, Festival and Greenwich. Not all boat services from these piers are fully accessible. Please check with the boat operators before

Customer Services

TfL and LU offer the ability to feedback using text, phone, email, textphone, internet or fax.  Complaints that pertain to extreme cases are escalated as required through a standard process.

Complaints can often be used to gauge the affect of staff training and to identify where we need to make improvements.

When TfL consults the public about the development of policy and services we want to involve everyone and offer consultation material in different formats including Braille, large font, audio and electronically (email/internet). Representatives are also willing to visit stakeholder groups to listen to what they have to say.

Help for disabled passengers wanting to travel for the first time, or for the first time in a while:

• More information on what to expect will be at www.tfl.gov.uk/getonboard, or ring 020 7 222 1234 to request a copy in the best format for you
  
• Get help with planning your journey by ringing 0207 241 7457 or trying the online journey planner at www.tfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner
  
• Try travelling with a travel buddy – ring 0207 241 7457 or email enquire@tfl.gov.uk with the subject line “Travel Assistance Scheme”