Getting Around

Text taken from the 2003 guide.

London is big, and much of its public transport system was designed a century ago. There has been limited investment in improving the facilities and, until quite recently, the needs of disabled passengers have not really been considered. While that is changing, it will take many years before the system will meet the aspirations of the majority of disabled travellers.

Travelling around in London is one of the biggest problems for the disabled person who wants to be both independent and mobile. Since the last edition of the guide in 1996, there has been a considerable amount of progress, but it's still difficult. It's also very much 'two steps forward, one step back'. For example, the Jubilee line extension (JLE) has opened, providing a potentially invaluable section of the tube with step free access, but there have been operational and reliability problems with some of the lifts installed. Many more wheelchair accessible buses have appeared, and according to Transport for London (TfL) more than 90% of London buses are accessible. However, the reliability of the ramps being used is not good. Our experience quite recently was that only around 50% of the bus journeys attempted by our chair users on supposedly accessible buses were actually successful.

The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and the Croydon Tramway are the only significant parts of the system to have step free access. All black taxis are now, in principle, wheelchair accessible, but attitudes on the part of drivers are variable. Also, some of the older taxis are quite cramped inside. For car users, there are some BB spaces in London, including some at major sights/sites - see the individual write-ups in the guide. Traffic is very congested, and driving in London isn't everyone's idea of fun. For London residents, Dial-a-Ride (DAR) and Taxicard services provide limited door-to-door services.

In so far as disabled people remain concerned and upset about the lack of progress towards a fairer society where everyone can take part on an equal basis, the slow progress with developing an accessible transport system is probably the issue where they have most justification in calling for rapid change. Unfortunately while the future funding of the tube is a matter of political controversy, many investment decisions have been delayed. The fragmentation of the railways has been unhelpful, and the disappearance of printed material and its substitution with information from call centres and from the internet is a great loss. Investment in lifts at a good number of the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City line stations could make an enormous difference to the accessibility of the underground. The costs involved would be relatively small compared with providing lifts down to the deep sections of the tube, because the stations are all near the surface. In addition the funding of a few people at call centres who 'know their stations' would be an enormous help. In this respect, TfL is now pretty good, but some of the rail companies leave a lot to be desired.

In spite of all that slightly negative commentary, with the right information and with a little determination and planning, you should be able to get to most of the places you want, although you may have to use some taxis or bring your own transport.

If you need advice and/or up-to-date information about particular journeys, try:

By rail

There is a huge network of rail lines through the London suburbs. It is more dense south of the river, where there are fewer tube lines. You can pick up an excellent map of the system called London Connections from a number of information points, or by ringing National Rail Enquiries Tel: 0845 7484-950 Textphone: 0845 6050-600 website: www.nationalrail.co.uk.

As there are so few journeys 'inside' London that it is possible to make by train without major access problems, we describe the network in detail in the section in the guidebook on Arriving.

A booklet called Rail Travel for Disabled Passengers is available. This includes practical advice and contact phone numbers. It also contains details of concessionary fares, and of the Disabled Persons Railcard. This offers reduced fares for you and an adult companion. It is valid for a year, and at the time of writing cost £14. Cards are available from The Disabled Persons Railcard Office, PO Box 1YT, Newcastle-on-Tyne NE99 1YT. The booklet and other leaflets are available at main stations and it can be downloaded from www.nationalrail.co.uk after using the Disabled Assistance button.

Remember that there is a step up into the carriage on virtually all trains, but if you can manage this, you can take the train to central London. Some older carriages have two steps. The larger stations now have movable ramps to help get on or off the train. The ramps can be a solid piece of engineering, and may quite heavy to handle. Staff need training in their use. There are some newer and lighter ramps made of aluminium coming into use. These are slightly narrower, making it easier to fit into the doors. There are even some fibreglass ramps available which can fold up like a suitcase, and these are used on First Great Western. Hopefully, good practice over the provision of ramps will be shared around among the different operators.

If you are using a smaller station, possibly one that isn't always staffed, most operators ask for 24 hours notice of your travelling plans, so that they can provide any assistance which is needed. If you are travelling with friends, so that assistance isn't needed, make sure that you don't bump into a staff operated lift at a station with no staff !

The map in the guidebook shows the main peripheral stations with step free access. The range of options, although limited, is growing. City Thameslink station has step free access and is potentially of great use as a central destination. It is not open after 9 pm or at weekends which considerably reduces its value. Charing Cross can be a really useful central destination. In addition, London Bridge now has lifts to both the Northern line, and the JLE. Unfortunately the JLE lift there has been one of the more unreliable ones. Enquiry numbers for disabled people wanting to make rail journeys and either to get information, or to request assistance when travelling, are:

These numbers were taken off the National Rail website www.nationalrail.co.uk in 2002. Most of the numbers listed take you through to customer services. Some only operate their 'help' line during normal working hours. Some companies have specialist staff who are well informed about access issues and about the facilities on their network. In our experience, by far the best service is that provided by the staff at the Virgin Trains call centre (Tel: 08457-443366 for Journey Care) who were both helpful and knowledgeable both about their own stations, and about those used by other operators. Virgin probably have the largest network, although much of it is for crosscountry journeys rather than those in and out of London. They have trains operating in and out of both Euston and Paddington. Their website is particularly useful relating to stations outside London as they publish details about the accessibility of most of the stations on their network.

Since the disappearance of British Rail, and the privatisation of the railways, the system has become fragmented. This has had the result that it is more difficult to get reliable information (relating to access in particular), and journeys involving changing trains have become more difficult. Many of the staff will try to be as helpful as possible, but they cannot speak for the personnel working for other operators.

Most of the London termini are well described by Railtrack on www.railtrack.co.uk under major stations.

By car or minibus

For many disabled people, getting around by car or adapted minibus is the only practical way, since much of the public transport system is inaccessible. Drivers have to face a fairly aggressive driving style and congestion, especially during rush hours. There can also be parking problems. Having said that, driving in London is certainly more disciplined than it is in other large European cities like Paris or Rome.

Your reaction to driving in London will depend very much on experience as well as on driving skills and temperament. Londoners tend to be very positive and to go quite fast. Driving speeds have dropped over the years due to congestion. Major junctions are all controlled by traffic lights, and most lanes are now clearly marked. This makes it easier for visitors. Problems include the one-way streets and no-right-turns (and sometimes even no-left-turns), which seem to crop up everywhere. The secret is not to panic and just press on. Make sure that you've got a good map. If you have a navigator, so much the better, but if you have a map you can at least stop and sort yourself out, working out another route if necessary.

One way of making constructive use of your car or minibus, and also of the accessible transport facilities, is to drive into the Docklands, park near a station there and use the DLR for some of your sightseeing/visiting. Equally you could park at Richmond and use the train in to Waterloo (for the South Bank) or at East Croydon and go to City Thameslink, Charing Cross or Victoria. With the opening of the JLE, the possibilities for parking just outside the centre, and coming in to stations such as Westminster, London Bridge or even Caledonian Road (via Green Park) have been greatly increased.

During 2003, the central London congestion charge was introduced in the area bounded by Park Lane in the west, the Euston Road and Pentonville Road in the north, Commercial Street and Tower Bridge in the east and the New Kent Road, Kennington Lane and Vauxhall Bridge in the south. The initial charge was £5 per vehicle, either payable in advance or by 22.00 on the day of travel. Details about the charge and how it works can be obtained on Tel: 0845 900-1234, on www.cclondon.com or by writing to Congestion Charging, PO Box 2985, Coventry CV7 8ZR. Vehicles used by disabled drivers that are exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty are not charged. For blue badge holders, you need to register with TfL, which will cost £10. You will then have to inform them when you going into the congestion charge area, as the vehicle you are travelling in will then be exempt from the charge.

It remains to be seen how successful this policy will be, and obviously the charge may vary with time, but it could provide the basis for reducing congestion and for more investment into the public transport system. Both should benefit disabled residents and visitors. It is not quite clear how it will work for a disabled visitor who uses a hire car, but doubtless the hire company will be able to advise. For visitors to London from European countries, their local BB should be valid. For visitors from other countries, contact DaRT for advice.

Buses and tubes

Transport for London Windsor House, 42-50 Victoria Street SW1W 0TL
Tel: Travel information/Disenq 020 7222-1234 (24 hours) Textphone: 020 7918-3015
website: www.tfl.gov.uk
TfL runs both the buses and tubes. Its principal function is to provide a fast mass transport system which best meets the needs of Londoners and visitors. It is only relatively recently that the needs of disabled passengers have been seriously addressed, and the provisions that have been made are restricted because in many cases they are seen as being too costly. When new facilities are built, it is accepted that accessibility is important, but the necessary modifications to older underground stations, for example, have only been made in a few places.

Special provisions, particularly for passengers who need step free access, are still quite minimal, and most are shown on our Accessible Tube Links diagram (in the guidebook). The DLR reaches Tower Gateway and the Bank, and is being extended with a new line past London City airport. The new JLE opens up more possibilities as all the stations from Westminster to Stratford are accessible. There are a handful of other accessible stations, and we include in our list (and on the diagram in the guide) those which are due to become step free during the next five years. If the current political dispute about funding is resolved, more may have lifts installed before 2010. In a recent London Underground policy statement 'Unlocking London for all' it was announced that there are plans to install lifts at seventy additional stations over the next 10-15 years, and we very much hope that this will be the case. Funding such a programme will be a major issue.

TfL produces various free maps, guides and leaflets, including a comprehensive Tube access guide which is both a map and listing of all the stations which people can use without stairs and escalators. The map was developed in conjunction with SCOPE during 2001, and is an extension of the map in our 1996 edition. TfL also produces a range of literature, including a useful Large print Central London area bus guide with a listing of which services are (should be) wheelchair accessible.

One thing that we do have to warn people about, and that is that during the rush hour peaks, it's difficult enough for anyone to get on some of the central tube trains or the buses, and it's probably not practical for most disabled people to battle with the crowded system. It's not easy to design a system that copes with the levels of overcrowding commonly experienced.