Memorandum submitted by London Underground
There are 98 London Underground (LU) stations
that have toilet facilities available for public use. Of those,
16 are accessible to people with disabilities.
Many LU stations were constructed many years
ago, before consideration was given to the needs of people with
disabilities, meaning that opportunities to make toilets accessible
are often limited by constraints of space and building design.
However, LU is working to provide step free access from the platform
to the street at 25% of its stations by 2010, and existing public
toilets at these stations will be converted to be accessible for
people with disabilities.
Most toilets on the Underground are free, although
eight charge 10p or 20p for use of the facilities. Charges are
levied at a these locations for a variety of historical reasons,
including discouraging anti-social behaviour.
LU is currently auditing its public toilet facilities
and reviewing its policy on this matter. The British Toilet Association
(BTA) has been commissioned to survey toilets across the network,
advise how the layout and functionality can be best configured
given available space, and recommend how the maintenance of toilets
could be better managed. The BTA report will also consider the
issue of charging.
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