Do you live or travel in London? Transport for London want to hear from you!

Adrian_Scope

Do you live or travel in London? Transport for London want to hear from you! 

Transport for London (TfL) are currently reviewing their travel information tools, with a particular focus on journey accessibility. They would like to understand how their customers are using these tools and what you find most useful when planning and taking accessible journeys. 

To help them do this TfL would like to hear from us so that they can better understand how their customers find updates about their journey, including real-time information about accessible infrastructure like lifts or audio visual travel information.

Fill in TfL’s ‘Access Stakeholder Feedback’ survey and share your thoughts on how you access TfL's Accessibility news updates and what improvements can be made.

This survey will take between 15-20 minutes and is completely anonymous.

Maggie_Pie

I dispute that TfL have any interest in making journeys more accessible, including via travel information tools.  According to a recent E-mail from them, these are the supposed tools.
"We realise how important it is to keep passengers informed of any changes and diversions and will always aim to publicise such information on our website and Twitter, @TFLBusAlerts."
I do not use Twitter and I had let TfL know that I don't have a mobile 'phone - for disability reasons.  So although I did knew that apps exist I cannot access them for information updates. 

So what happens with people who, for whatever reason, can't benefit from 'information tools?'   When I contacted TfL I also mentioned the dire lack of transport staff to ask.  I have always relied on there being staff in bus stations but this isn't the case in London and when I ventured to seek help at Charing Cross Station and explained my disability needs one of the women staffing the Helpdesk told me, "We don't have the staff to help you."

Maggie_Pie

Since I posted the above earlier this month, I have readied a claim to take to my local County Court tomorrow at 11.30 a.m.  Transport for London turned my disability discrimination complaint into a service issue complaint and have ignored my Letter Before Action, where I again tried to get them to respond to and deal with their discriminatory practices, including the failure to provide essential information, except via their website, that I cannot access (at least on the move).  So I am all set to become a LIP (litigant-in-person).

I must mention a disabled gentleman, Doug Paulley by name.  Having been a LIP himself several times, he provides invaluable information to other potential LIPs.  He has been successful against Transport for London.  In his case the claim was about discrimination on the Underground, but the judgement itself is really useful to me, in that the Judge (on 10th January 2019)  made clear that the TfL website (something they have subsequently relied on with myself), either alone or in conjunction with other sources of information (e.g., whiteboards) does not comprise a reasonable adjustment for disability.

I thought to myself, If Mr. Paulley can be a successful LIP so can I.  Bringing a claim isn't exactly easy but the alternative is for me to stop visiting London - and I don't want to be forced to give up going to art galleries and the opera because a public transport body are denying me adequate disability provision.

Adrian_Scope

Thanks for sharing this with us. Let us know how you get on!