Morning:
8°c
Scrapping station lifts 'hits disabled'
Dick Murray29 Oct 2009
The Tory leader of Ealing council today launched a bitter criticism of Tube bosses who have shelved plans to install lifts for step-free access at Greenford station.
The decision, part of LU's cutbacks to save £5billion over nine years, will leave hundreds of wheelchair-users and parents with young children unable to use the station.
Jason Stacey condemned the "utterly ridiculous and disgusting" decision and said he was appalled by London Underground's "reckless attitude". Similar schemes have also been cancelled at Osterley, West Kensington, Amersham, Ladbroke Grove and Newbury Park stations.
Mr Stacey said money would now have to be spent reversing substantial work already carried out. He said: "Would it not make more sense to finish rather than write off months of wasted work and taxpayers' money?"
Reader views (8)
To H Morgan- actually it's not a tiny minority of customers. The platform at Greenford is very high so the long stairway is a struggle for all but the young and fit- not only disabled, mums with pushchairs etc dread the long stairs ( no downward escalator and today the upward one is out of order)-but also anyone old, tired or with shopping.
Plus Greenford advertises itself as a station where one can cycle- but try hefting a bike up and down a double staircase just to get it on the tube and it was promised that bikes would be allowed to use this lift- what about TFL's 'commitment to cycling'?
And if TFL really couldn't afford this, why on earth did they not only approve it, but start work- at further inconvenience to commuters and passengers?
- C Morris, Greenford, 11/11/2009 10:03
Report abuse
Sad as it is this makes good sense. The cost of putting in lifts at many tube stations is astronomical compared with the benefit which is for a very small % of customers. There is only so much money in the pot, if we divert more towards lifts then there'll be less in there for improvements that benefit the majority of the public. I heard it was so expensive to put these lifts in that it would be cheaper to provide free cabs for those that really need lifts. It's party politics again, but the reality is that we need to make logical decisions on this and not emotional ones.
- H Morgan, London, 30/10/2009 09:54
Report abuse
Is Boris is breaking our current Equality laws?, I,m sure there is something about providing disabled access to all public buildings, question is will this cover tube and rail stations?
I,d rather see 50 million spent on proper access before the Olympics instead of unwanted giant phallus structures and airports in the Thames Esturary.
- Gordon, UK, 30/10/2009 06:13
Report abuse
Tut tut, Mr Mason. Stop playing the tired old party politics. Don't you work for the Labour Party in Ealing? Stuff the politics, thank goodness for someone like Mr Stacey who stands up against a wrong decision regardless of who's taken it.
- Robert, Northolt, London, UK, 29/10/2009 18:13
Report abuse
Whilst having a lift (at our station 2 lifts) would have made life easier when we had children in buggies it certainly did not stop us using the train or tube. From observation there seem to be large numbers of people with buggies and bags who are still able to use tubes and trains. The biggest problem we had was buses where you were expected to have a folding buggy and to be able to fold and get children onto a bus within the time a conductor would allow. Since buses became wheel chair friendly I have only seen 1 wheelchair on a bus - probably just as well as most buggies now seem to be 4x4 substitutes!
- Dave B, Beckenham, 29/10/2009 17:38
Report abuse
Well you only get what YOU VOTED FOR!!! So tough cheese...
Former Mayor Ken and Tim O'Toole knew that lifts are not just for the disabled but also a good way of managing the crowds that dis-embark trains as it allows faster clearence of platforms. They are also of benefit to elderly,overweight and people with prams or luggage who tend to block the narrow staircases.
Of course their must be something anti-lift about the Boris regime given the obnoxious views of Brian Colman (who chair London Fire brigade) on last nights local news where he belives in leaving people stuck in lifts on Council estates even though they may suffer from a major health or disability problem.
Asfor local tory councils moaning well its the price you pay for incompetence perhaps next time the tories will put up the chuckle brothers for joint mayor - oh sorry they are booked to be Prime Minister and Chancellor!!
- Melvyn, Canvey Island, Essex, 29/10/2009 12:02
Report abuse
It’s a bit cheeky of Stacey to go on the attack, when it is the London Mayor, a member of his own party who is wielding the knife in these disgusting cutbacks. Tories across London should be ashamed of themselves.
- Peter Mason, Ealing, UK, 29/10/2009 10:49
Report abuse
Funny how when TfL are scrapping something it's 'London Underground' but when opening something inherited from K*n L*v*ngst*n* it's 'Boris'.
This is as a result of the TfL cuts announced last week, by the way, partly to pay for things like, oo, £140m for painting ten roads blue and calling them 'cycle superhighways', or £50m+ for the new Routemaster or £20m a year for replacing bendy buses. You can't divorce the cuts from the political priorities, and step-free access is no longer a political priority.
There's a lot of anger in Osterley too, by the way. The money for that project was only signed off a couple of months ago, which hardly gives the impression of sound fiscal management, since quite a lot will have been wasted as a result.
- Tom, London, UK, 29/10/2009 10:46
Report abuse
