New analysis by Local London Assembly Member John Biggs shows that seven out of the nine stations in Tower Hamlets still have no disabled access and five of the seven have no accessible stations either side of them.
In total, 183 of London’s tube stations are completely inaccessible for disabled and less-able Londoners and visitors.
The analysis shows:
- 119 of London’s 436 Underground stations have no disabled access - and neither do stations either side of them.
- only 73 of 436 stations have full step free access – just 17%.
- 17 stations can only be used to change trains and are not accessible from the street – including Blackfriars, Euston and Oxford Circus
- 44 stations only have street to platform access, not to trains
Inaccessible transport is one of the major barriers to disabled people getting about the borough. One in ten Londoners are excluded from large parts of the transport network because of mobility issues, according to a report by the London Assembly.
Local Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs, said:
“The Mayor should be making accessibility a legacy priority. We need leadership from the Mayor and a clear statement of when these tube stations will have step free access.
“The Paralympic Games have been a huge success and inspiring - we now need to build on the momentum from the games and deliver a lasting legacy for our tube network by making it truly accessible for all.
“It is a scandal that there are seven stations in Tower Hamlets that are inaccessible for disabled Londoners, the elderly, and parents with buggies and that they don’t have the same travel opportunities that other Londoners have.
“If the Mayor is serious about ensuring these are ‘the most accessible Games ever’ and that London 2012 makes a lasting legacy in this city then he needs a costed plan to make all of our stations accessible.”
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