Press Release
Accessible buses transform the lives of millions of disabled Londoners
7th December 2005
Commenting on the final journey of the last London Routemaster bus planned for this Friday (9th December ) Bert Massie, Chairman of the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) said today:
“Providing accessible buses has transformed the lives of some two million disabled Londoners, in many cases allowing them to travel freely and independently across the capital for the very first time. It is wrong to see providing user-friendly transport as pandering to a small minority.”
Mr Massie continued:
“Without good transport, disabled people can’t take part in everyday life. DRC research found that young disabled people had missed out on holidays, going clubbing or watching sport because they couldn’t use public transport.”
Mr Massie continued:
“A number of Londoners injured on 7th July are now wheelchair users who want to continue going about their daily lives. They won’t be able to use the underground again because the challenges in making it accessible are proving insurmountable in the short term. So their only option is the London bus.”
“Those who defend the Routemaster should have a long hard think about the impact of their views. Wanting to hang onto a vehicle that many people can’t use is based on the principle of segregation – in effect you cut off a large number of people from using one form of transport. This crass view would be unacceptable if it were pointed at other groups.”
Transport poses significant challenges for disabled people. A Leonard Cheshire survey found that:
- 23 per cent of respondents had to turn down a job offer and a further 23 per cent a job interview because of inaccessible transport;
- almost half of respondents claimed that inaccessible transport had restricted their choice of jobs;
- 29 per cent of respondents without access to a car missed medical appointments because of inaccessible transport and 20 per cent had deferred treatment compared to only 7 per cent of the general public.
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