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Mayor launches Tube seat plan for pregnant women
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard6 Mar 2008
The Mayor has launched a priority seating scheme for pregnant women on the Tube.
It aims to encourage passengers to give up their seats to mothers-to-be who are often forced to stand.
Ken Livingstone was announcing full details of how the scheme will operate at High Street Kensington Tube station.
It follows an earlier attempt by the Mayor to resolve the problem by giving pregnant women badges declaring their expectant status, in the hope that other passengers would make way for them.
A recent survey found that London is the least sympathetic place in Britain towards mothers-to-be. About a third of women said they had never been offered a seat while travelling during pregnancy.
The survey of more than 500 new mothers, carried out by London Underground, found those given a seat had to stand for an average of five stops beforehand.
One in five spent more than £100 on taxis during pregnancy to avoid using the Tube.
Karlene Davis, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: " Offering assistance to pregnant women is not just a matter of courtesy, it's a matter of health. Pregnancy is stressful."
Jo deBank of London TravelWatch said: "Anything encouraging people to be more aware of pregnant women is welcome."
Reader views (2)
Today I got on the circle line at high st ken I am 32 weeks pregnant I was pushed out the way befor I could get to a seat then smiled at by a woman who pushed past me to get to a new free seat at the next stop my feet were so swollen and sore from beaing at work all day that I sat on my bag on the floor all the way to Westminster with one woman who was standing next 2 me who said she would ask them to move in witch I replied that I only had 8 weeks left then it's gon meaning my bump witch I think she took the rong way . Well I have asked people to move befor and thay hide in there newspapers and pretend ur not there maby they think she got her self pregnant she can deal with the pain and sore feet I have been offered a seat once on the train and I dout it would ever happen again unless my waters brake .
- Ashleigh, London, 20/04/2010 02:29
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Some years back each end seat was a priority seat, this seems to have been reduced to just one seat in each section of the carriage. The little orange badge above a seat telling people to get up was a good idea as we can no longer rely on common courtesy. When I was pregnant I never waited to be offered a seat I used to ask people to stand for me and was never ever refused. More women need to take matters into their own hands and be assertive. People are no less likely to get up for a pregnant woman these days they just need to be shamed into doing it.
- Jane, London, 06/03/2008 12:05
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