News

Should TfL be paying for your cab?

Added: 3 May 2012 | Updated: 3 May 2012

Many disabled Underground users know that if a lift is broken at an accessible station - and a single bus journey won’t get you to the next accessible station - TfL will pay for a cab.

But what about during planned lift maintenence work? What happens when the entire line is closed?

We have been in touch with London Underground this week, as a few of our members were hearing conflicting stories from Tube staff.

We have managed to get our hands on the full policy:

Alternative transport policy for London Underground

Occasionally, lifts or escalators may be out of service due to a fault or planned work. Planned work is communicated on the TfL website at tfl.gov.uk/realtime, and is also available on Journey Planner. Temporary closures due to the failure of lifts and escalators will also be publicised on the website and at stations.

If this happens and the closure means that you are unable to complete your planned journey, TfL will provide an alternative to help you to reach your destination. This may be using an alternative service, such as a bus, or by providing a taxi at TfL cost.

Circumstances where TfL may provide a taxi to help you to reach your destination include:

• If a lift is out of service due to a planned closure or a failure at a step-free station, and there is not a single accessible bus route which will take you to an alternative accessible station to continue your journey.

• If there is a line closure and the provided rail replacement bus service or local bus service does not connect to an alternative accessible station where you can continue your journey

• If there is a line closure and the rail replacement bus service is not accessible to you.

If you arrive at a station and are unable to exit because lifts or escalators and escalators are not available, staff should assist you to plan a journey to a point where you can exit the network and will then apply the guidelines above to help you to reach your destination.

These guidelines also apply if you are a guide dog user and London Underground were unable to switch off escalators to allow you and your dog to walk up and down – because doing so would be unsafe for the operation of the station.

This policy can also be found on TfL’s website: Assistance for disabled customers travelling on London Underground

If you have been refused a taxi when you were entitled, call us on 020 7737 2339 or email contactus@transportforall.org.uk and we can make a complaint for you.