Wheelchair user calls for better travel facilities

A wheelchair user who took part in a 48-hour challenge to travel from Wiltshire to London on public transport said "more action" was needed to improve facilities.

Chris Davis, 60, from Melksham, completed the journey as part of a Spinal Injuries Association campaign to raise awareness of the barriers disabled passengers face.

"What should have been a straightforward trip became a series of accessibility failures," Davis said, after he encountered a broken down lift and tried to get a taxi which was not big enough for his wheelchair.

The Department for Transport said it was "determined" to make travel easier for everyone, including by improving step-free access at stations.

"Real life accounts like these show just how difficult it can be to travel with a disability," a spokesperson for the department said.

They added that the government had earmarked £280m to improve station access and passenger assistance, while also creating "tough new accessibility standards for buses and taxi drivers".

Davis was one of six people with spinal cord injuries who planned and completed a journey to London using at least two forms of public transport as part of the challenge.

He travelled from Melksham to London Paddington before he ended his journey at Trafalgar Square.

Davis used trains and buses on his journey to London and tried to use a black taxi to get home. However, he had to change his plans and get a train because his wheelchair would not fit in the taxi.

"Better taxi access would make the biggest difference," he said.

Emma Strain, Transport for London's (TfL's) director of customer, said being able to get around London safely and comfortably was "crucial for everyone to be able to live their lives fully".

Black cabs are legally required to take wheelchair users and Strain said all licensed London black taxis have been made to be wheelchair-accessible.

Davis said he felt "vulnerable" after arriving at London's Liverpool Street station to find a broken down lift. After asking for help, he was taken to use a goods lift.

"It wasn't particularly nice," he said. "Those kind of things can be quite challenging."

In response, Strain said TfL understood the "frustration and inconvenience" its passengers experience when there is no step-free access.

Davis said with lots of planning and a back-up plan, travelling on public transport as a wheelchair user "can be done".

"Facilities are improving, it's a bit slow, but it is getting better," he said.

"We can keep talking about these challenges, but someone somewhere needs to actually take action on improving facilities.

"I would absolutely do it again - the more involvement the disabled community has in that process the better," he added.

The Spinal Injuries Association campaign was funded by funded by the Motability Foundation.

Both charities said disabled passengers have "dramatically different" experiences on public transport and explained they are committed to "supporting robust evidence that highlights where barriers persist and what action is needed to address these."

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