Examination of Witnesses (Questions 520
- 539)
520. In theory the policy intention behind the
law in relation to transport is to remove the disadvantage that
disabled people experience and make travel easier for them. It
should move us towards a seamless journey, where disabled people
can leave their homes, travel on public transport and reach their
destination without experiencing barriers. It should reduce the
need for additional assistance. On the other hand, it should not
overburden the provider, and this is where the concept of reasonableness
comes into play.
521. It is important to recognise that the way
to remove disabled people's disadvantage is almost certainly not
going to be through equal treatment. Providing a visually impaired
person with a standard print information pack is equal treatment
but it does not achieve an equal outcome. Most visually impaired
people need an alternative form of information, that is unequal
treatment in effect, in order to achieve an equal outcome.
522. Likewise, steps with no ramp or lift disadvantages
wheelchair users and some people with walking difficulties, whereas
a ramp with no steps disadvantages others with walking difficulties
who find steps with a handrail easier. There is no absolute solution
to the provision of good access—what is important is that
disabled people are not disproportionately disadvantaged by any
provision that is made.
523. In practice, the approach to implementing
the law in the rail industry has been patchy but it is improving,
I am pleased to say. In the national rail industry, major industry
changes over the past ten years have shifted the focus away from
accessibility, and it has taken time and political will to get
that focus back.
524. In the early 1990s British Rail had begun
to implement accessibility measures, but privatisation sidelined
it for a few years.
525. In 2000 Hatfield and the resultant industry
changes stifled the development of an industry strategy. The former
Strategic Rail Authority then revived that development and, with
the advent of Access for All and the Department for Transport's
focus on the issue, it is to be hoped that accessibility is now
firmly entrenched.
526. There is some shining evidence of good
practice, in particular in light rail. However, it is easier to
provide good access in a newly built closed system. Most often
it is the legacy of existing infrastructure, that I spoke about
earlier, that causes problems.
527. A good example of that is Sheffield Supertram
where, when it was originally built, it was almost completely
accessible but the interchange with the mainline station was not
accessible. It has taken a very long time to get that accessible
but it is, I am glad to say, now so.
528. Effectively the central part of Crossrail
between Paddington and Whitechapel is obviously not closed but
it is effectively like a closed system, and it is thus fairly
straightforward and cost-effective there to provide access. The
problems with Crossrail begin when it rubs up against existing
infrastructure, both in London Underground and on the National
Rail network.
529. The DDA has certainly focussed attention
on accessibility and things are now improving; but the current
appraisal system, as I found in my research, tends to militate
against good practice because projects have to jump the value
for money hurdle first , and the value of disabled access is now
well accounted for.
530. Crossrail has still managed to work within
that system to increase accessibility. As was mentioned earlier,
a couple of years ago four more stations were brought into the
accessibility fold, as it were.
531. The rail industry has made marked progress
in relation to access for people with restricted mobility in general,
but in particular for disabled people. In the past disabled people
were not considered in the design either of vehicles or of infrastructure.
If you wanted to participate as a disabled person in the community
and to travel on rail you had to fit in; and you had to adapt
yourself to whatever provision was made for the travelling public.
Many people either therefore did not travel or had great difficulty
in doing so. I myself was once refused access to a guard's van
because I did not have the necessary permit signed by the Area
Station Manager to allow me to travel with the post. Now we are
much clearer about the problems that stem from poor design of
the system, so the solution is the removal of barriers in that
system to ensure disabled people can travel.
532. Unfortunately, however, because of the
position in the past we are left with some very sizeable barriers,
many of which are costly to remove and some of which present design
and engineering problems that are difficult and, on a few rare
occasions, impossible to solve without rebuilding, as you have
just been hearing.
533. Increasingly now the will and indeed the
funding, which again is incredibly important, is there to solve
these problems to the betterment of everyone with restricted mobility.
534. This slide gives you an idea of the difference
that Crossrail will make in London as a whole when it opens in
2017.[14]
London Underground has a clear strategy up to 2013 which will
result in 18 per cent of journeys beginning and ending at step-free
stations.
535. On Crossrail, on the other hand, 93 per
cent of journeys will be step-free, so it will both enhance existing
transport provision when it opens and lead the way for rail. This
underlines the problem of existing infrastructure which London
Underground, and indeed the national rail network, are wrestling
with; but it also demonstrates the very real difference that Crossrail
will make. Of course, then you can add to that that all buses
in London are now wheelchair accessible, low floor buses with
ramps, and black cabs are all wheelchair accessible.
536. Crossrail has taken a very proactive approach
to the issue of inclusion. It is being integrated into the design
at the appropriate stages. As I mentioned earlier, straightforward
layout and step-free access are being addressed now and other
issues will be addressed as the design matures. The next stage
of the design, due to start later in the year, will focus on a
range of other access features such as tactile paving for blind
people and seating. Further still down the line, things like signage,
induction loops, colours and finishes will be considered.
537. An Equality Impact Assessment looking at
the impact of Crossrail including the design on all seven of the
equality groups has already been undertaken and is due to be reviewed
this year now that the project is becoming more established.
538. Broadly, there are four types of stations
for Crossrail: there are new builds, such as Farringdon, and that
provides 100 per cent step-free access; there are major rebuilds,
such as Ealing Broadway, which provides 100 per cent step-free
access; there are upgrades, such as Southall; and there are platform
extensions only, such as Burnham and Manor Park.
539. This diagram is the companion of the one
you were shown earlier.[15]
This diagram shows you at the present moment, at the stations
where Crossrail is going to call, where access is step-free.
14 Crossrail Ref: P8, Future Transport Access in London
(LINEWD-XR4-009) Back
15
Crossrail Ref: P8, Crossrail Line 1-Diagram 1-Current step free
access to platforms (LINEWD-XR4-011) Back
| 
