GLA member questions the Mayor on accessibility
Transport for All
Joanne McCartney, Assembly Member for...
Joanne McCartney, Assembly Member for Enfield & Haringey and member of the GLA transport Committee, recently put two questions to Mayor Boris Johnson at Mayor’s Question Time in July.
New Routemaster
Question No: 2468 / 2010
Joanne McCartney
What consultation have you had to date with organisations representing people with reduced mobility in designing your new bus?
Answer from the Mayor:
TfL has held meetings with London Travel Watch (LTW) through its design forum which includes a range of users since 2009, and given LTW presentations on the design process and technical specification.
The RNIB has been asked for guidance on colours and lighting, and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has been contacted for help with flooring textures and patterns.
TfL plans to use a mock up of the new bus in autumn 2010 to consult a broad range of user groups before the first prototype is built and make refinements in light of user views. Opportunities for further improvements will exist in the prototyping stage.
Accessibility issues are a major consideration in the vehicle’s development, requiring information on legal compliance, generic passenger requirements and specific disabled use to be gathered as a separate exercise. TfL will require the bus manufacturer to directly engage with appropriate organisations and stakeholders to obtain the necessary advice.
Disability Awareness
Question No: 2470 / 2010
Joanne McCartney
When TfL visit schools to advise on safer travel, do they ask pupils to consider the needs of those with reduced mobility/disability when travelling on public transport? If they do not, could this be included in future school visits?
Answer from the Mayor:
Through these regular visits to schools, TfL already encourages children to consider other passengers when using public transport, and this includes considering the needs of disabled passengers. For example TfL make clear the importance of making space for passengers using wheelchairs and offering seats to the elderly or infirm. In the academic year 2008-09 the team worked directly with over 138,000 children and young people across London. This includes a total of 1759 out of 1991 primary school visits with over 82,000 children seen and 159 Secondary schools with over 42,000 young people seen.
If you have any questions you would like the Mayor to answer, please send them to Transport for All and we will forward to members of the transport committee to ask him at the next Mayors Question Time.
Email Sarah at sarah@transportforall.org.uk or call the office on 020 7737 2339
