The accessibility of public transport services in Greater London is incomplete. Much of the rail network in London (including the London Underground and London Overground) was built before accessibility was a requirement. Unlike in the United States, Underground stations built in the 1960s and 1970s made no provision for the disabled, with wheelchair users banned from the deep-level tunnels on Underground lines until 1993.
From the beginning of the 1980s onwards, accessibility improvements began to be made, with the opening of the accessible Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in 1987 and wider consideration of accessibility needs. Further improvements followed, with the introduction of low-floor buses in 1993, the passing of the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995 and the opening of the Jubilee Line Extension in 1999 – which provided step-free access at 11 new Underground stations. From 2000, all London taxis were accessible, able to take wheelchair passengers. In late 2005, the iconic, high floor AEC Routemaster buses were withdrawn from service, making London one of the first major cities in the world to have an accessible, low floor bus fleet – 10 years ahead of the national requirement.
Since 2000, Transport for London (TfL) has made substantial efforts to improve accessibility, with station upgrades and new infrastructure such as the Elizabeth line increasing the number of step-free stations on the TfL network. 95 Underground stations (34%) and 63 Overground stations (54%) have step-free access, with all new Underground stations since 1999 opened as accessible stations. Work to increase the number of accessible stations further is underway. Other transport services such as Docklands Light Railway, Tramlink and the Elizabeth line are fully accessible, with step-free access at every stop or station.
Background
As of the 2021 census, 1.2million Londoners have a disability – a "physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities". The 2021 census also indicated that there are 1million people aged over 65 in London, and over 137,000 people aged over 85. The number of older people in London is expected to rise over the next 30 years. Older people are also much more likely to be disabled – with around a third of Londoners aged 65 and over. In 2012, TfL stated that 4.9million trips a day are taken by passengers carrying heavy luggage, 1.5million by people travelling with a small child (with buggy) and 0.7million by those aged over 74. A total of 7.1million trips a day are made by somebody with at least one of these barriers to mobility.
Accessibility of the public transport network allows people to travel freely at a time of their choice. Examples of disabled people that benefit from improved accessibility include people that use a wheelchair, people with limited mobility, people who are blind or visually impaired, people with impaired hearing and people with learning disabilities. Examples of other groups that benefit from improved accessibility include older people, people who have English as a second or foreign language, people with travelling with small children and people travelling with heavy luggage or shopping.
Accessibility is more than lifts, ramps and dropped kerbs – it also includes the consideration of inclusive design, ensuring that communication is accessible to all, and that staff are well trained. TfL also notes their desire to make journeys "pleasant", and give people the confidence to travel.
History
In the first half of the 20th century, no special provisions for the disabled were provided by London transport authorities. Until 1959, London Transport required blind passengers or disabled people "wishing to travel independently" to sign an indemnity accepting financial liability from any accident. In 1968, London Underground began using automated warnings for passengers to "Mind the gap", as many Underground stations have horizontal and/or vertical gaps between the train and the platform.
The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 placed a legal obligation on local authorities to provide access to public buildings for the disabled. However, the act did not include access to public transport. The Victoria line, completed in 1971, did not consider access for the disabled – with no lifts provided at stations. For comparison, new rapid transit projects built at the same time elsewhere included facilities for the disabled, with the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Washington Metro and Tyne & Wear Metro providing lifts from opening in 1972, 1976 and 1980 respectively. In 1973, the Greater London Council began offering the Freedom Pass, a London wide concessionary travel pass which was initially only accepted on buses and for pensioners.
1980s During the International Year of Disabled Persons in 1981, London Transport worked with disability groups to publish an accessible guide to the public transport network for the first time. Chairman of London Transport Peter Masefield expressed a willingness to improve facilities for the disabled, but noted the challenge and costs of doing so. In 1982, London Transport permitted wheelchair users to use above-ground sections of deep Tube lines during off-peak hours, having previously relaxed rules to allowing wheelchair passengers to use the District, Circle and Metropolitan lines. This allowed wheelchair users to use 70% of the network, though travel through the deep-level tunnels was still prohibited over fears wheelchairs could hinder emergency evacuation.
Following the London Regional Transport Act 1984, London Regional Transport (LRT) was obliged to provide public transport services for the disabled. The London Transport Unit for Disabled Passengers was set up in 1984. This body worked throughout LRT to ensure that public transport became more accessible over time, as well as helping to train staff in offering assistance. New LRT buildings were built with the disabled in mind – with Harrow bus station including a disabled toilet and dropped kerbs in the design. LRT promised that future rail and bus station renovation and modernisation work would take into account the needs of the disabled and those with impaired sight or hearing – with the introduction of hearing loops at ticket offices (which transmits audio to hearing aids), installation of better platform seating and improved public announcements. Training was also introduced for staff on how to help passengers with disabilities.
In the early 1980s, Dial-a-Ride services were introduced by local boroughs across London to provide door-to-door transport for the disabled. Dial-a-Ride was expanded London-wide by 1985, subsidised by a grant from London Transport initially costing around £5million a year.
In November 1984, LRT began trialling bus routes that used buses specifically designed to cater for those with disabilities. These routes would later become "Mobility Buses". From 1986, the design of regular buses was also modified, with non-slip handrails, illuminated stopping signs and additional steps at bus doors to reduce the step height – making it easier to access the bus. In 1988, kneeling buses were trialled on route 42 – the modified Leyland National bus had air suspension that lowered at bus stops to give a significantly reduced ground clearance. By 1988, buses that operated the Airbus routes to Heathrow Airport had been modified to allow two passengers in wheelchairs.
In 1986, the Greater London Association for Disabled People (GLAD) pushed for "a radical reappraisal" of accessible transport in a report – with over 465,000 Londoners unable to (or find it extremely challenging) to use public transport. GLAD considered that the ban on wheelchairs on the Underground should be reconsidered, and criticised the removal of bus conductors as it has "eliminated much of the personal assistance available" to disabled people. LRT responded by welcoming the evidence the GLAD report provided, while pointing out the high cost of delivering accessibility improvements in light of limited funds.
In 1987, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) opened, serving 16 stations across Docklands and East London. The DLR was the first major railway infrastructure project in Britain where full access for the disabled was considered from the start, with level access into the train from platforms and lifts at all stations. Although wheelchairs were permitted on many parts of the Underground, and that some stations were already accessible due to their level access, the LRT Board decided that the ban on wheelchairs at deep-level sections of the Underground would continue for safety reasons.
In 1987, the MCW Metrocab became the first accessible black cab model in London. From February 1989, all newly licensed black cabs were required to be able to take a passenger in a wheelchair.
1990s
In the early 1990s, Campaign for Accessible Transport – led by disability rights groups such as the Disabled People's Direct Action Network (DAN) – was set up to protest and lobby for increased access to public transport. For many disabled people, the only public transport option available was Dial-a-Ride, as buses were not accessible. DAN protesters blocked buses on Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and other locations across London by handcuffing or chaining themselves to buses, as well as placing themselves in the path of buses and refusing to move. On several occasions in 1994 and 1995, during the consideration of the Disability Discrimination Act, protesters handcuffed themselves to a Routemaster bus by the Palace of Westminster.
In October 1992, the rebuilt Hillingdon tube station was the first station to have lifts for disabled access included in its design. From 1 October 1993, wheelchair access on the deep level Tube lines was permitted for the first time, following changes to London Underground's conditions of carriage. It was estimated that around 40 stations were accessible, however obstacles such as gaps between trains and platforms remained. Research by London Transport suggested that a step-free Underground would raise ridership by around 5%. London Underground applied for Millennium Commission funding to make five existing stations on the Jubilee line accessible, stating that they wanted to "add access for the disabled, and people with pushchairs and heavy shopping". This funding did not materialise.
Stationlink, the accessible bus route connecting central London mainline railway stations with each other was relaunched in 1993, replacing the Carelink branding. The hourly bus service used midibuses fitted with wheelchair lifts, allowing accessible connections across London at a lower cost than a taxi.
Work to make buses more accessible continued in the 1990s, with low-floor single decker buses trialled and tested on various bus routes across London from 1992. In 1993, route 88 became the first in London to use kneeling buses, making access easier. In 1994, route 120 became the first bus route in the United Kingdom to solely use accessible, low-floor buses. From 1996, significant numbers of low-floor single decker buses were ordered by bus operators, replacing older high-floor buses. In 1998, route 242 became the first low-floor double decker route in London. Low-floor buses were gradually rolled out on bus routes across London, with over 900 in service by 1998, and the last high-floor bus entering service in 1999.