Toilets on London transport must improve
Transport for All
The London Assembly’s Health and Public Services...
The London Assembly’s Health and Public Services Committee is reviewing public toilet provision across the capital.
For many older and disabled Londoners, lack of toilet provision is a major obstacle to travelling. Toilets on the transport network are not always accessible, nor clean. Older people in particular may find that they need to go more frequently, and this should never be a barrier to getting out and about.
The London Assembly’s previous report on public toilets in London found that toilets in stations were frequently squalid, and often inaccessible.
Transport for All, drawing on the comments and responses of our members, made a response to the Committee.
Responses included:
“The position is pretty dire. Over the 35 years that I have lived in London the number of easy access toilets on streets and at stations has dropped significantly. I have often either not made a journey because of worries about toilet availability, or made long detours to find a station where I know there was an unlocked and accessible toilet.“
“I am a wheelchair user. As a result of a spinal cord injury, I have bowel and bladder problems, so when I plan a journey I have to plan for toilets. I once was at Canning Town Station and I needed to use toilet urgently, but the toilet was closed and the customer service office was closed – so could not access the toilet. I have a RADAR Key but this particular toilet is not adapted for RADAR Keys. I happened to wet myself because of lack of toilets on stations.“
“Merton Seniors is sure that the lack of toilet provision does stop many older and disabled people from travelling, in fact when consulting with older people on issues of concern, the need for toilet provision in public areas and at transpport hubs is always high on the list. The pervading smell, particularly in the alleyway adjacent to Morden Station suggests that public toilets are very much needed!!“
“Toilets on trains which are supposed to have them are often out of order or poorly serviced, they are a low priority with many TOCs (Train Operating Companies)“.
Concerns about finding a useable toilets are the source of a great deal of stress and anxiety for older and disabled people when they do travel. Increasing the provision of public toilets, improving the accessibility and pleasantness of existing toilets, and including the views of disabled and older people when designing toilets, must be a priority for transport providers.
