It has been a long 20 years trying to achieve this goal however we may finally be nearing the point where we have proper step-free access installed.
Recently it was announced that Queensbury and Canons Park stations have made Transport for London’s shortlist to improve accessibility. While this is great news for residents and cause for some celebration, I was disappointed not to see Stanmore included on the list.
The current choice commuters face...
...is either 48 steps to the main entrance/ticket hall, 16 steps via the car park, 24 steps at the side to the bus stop, or the current step-free route which is over 140 meters long and includes a steep ramp that even the Paralympian, Tanni Grey-Thompson, could not complete unaided.
Definition of 'step-free'...
Sadiq Khan and TfL consider Stanmore station to already be ‘step-free’ and will not consider any further works at this time. I have since discovered that a 2017 Freedom of Information request found there is no legal definition of a ‘step-free’ station; it is up to each individual train operating company (in this case, TfL). Taken in conjunction with the Transport Select Committee’s excellent report on accessibility issues faced by disabled people in the transport sector, I am now exploring how I can force the Government to legislate to this effect.
If we can get a proper ‘step-free’ definition agreed, then we can apply pressure on TfL to delist Stanmore as ‘step-free’ so that it meets the requirement to be considered for investments and a lift.