DDB 93 Transport for London
Clerk of the Corn e on
the draft Disability Discrimination Bill
The Scrutiny
Committe Offic
House Commons
Room GlO
7 MilIbank London SW1P3JA
27 February 2004
Comments on the Draft
Disability Discrimination Bill, December 2003
My comments are limited
to the section of the Bill dealing with transport.
My understanding is -
put simply -
that the Bill will
require any provider of transport to ensure the accessibility
of such transport as is provided. Of course I welcome this, and
Transport for London wholeheartedly supports and is working to
make this a reality: for example, we already operate the world's
largest fleet of wheelchair-accessible buses.
However I am concerned
that the Bill is silent about the needs of disabled people who
cannot use, and need something in addition to, whatever means
of transport -
buses, underground,
light rail, etc -
are operated in
their locality.
In London, for example,
there are perhaps 200,000+ people with physical impairments, age-related
frailty etc who cannot get unaided from their front door to the
nearest bus-stop. There are perhaps another 200,000+ Londoners
who have sensory and other impairments for whom travelling independently
by bus is impractical. And there are people with any of these
impairments who want to come to and travel in London for work
or leisure.
It would be possible for
a transport authority to provide nothing for these people, and
yet to comply entirely with the new Act as drafted -
except possibly
for the general duties set out in Clauses 4 and 8. And I am far
from clear about how much influence these clauses will bring to
bear on this issue.
-A~ AIO&
MAYOR OF LONDON VAT
number 756 2769 90
to the Board
020 7941 4500 .tfLgov.uk
My view -
which I hope the
Committee will share -
is that transport
authorities should as swiftly as is practicable move towards providing
a mix of transport such that all disabled people wishing
to travel may do so at the same fare as, and with a facility (or
degree of inconvenience!) equivalent to that of, their able-bodied
neighbours.
I ask the Committee to
consider (1) whether the Bill should require a transport authority
so to provide and, if so, (2) whether as drafted it achieves this.
Bryan Heiser
|
