Transport for London has announced a review into the future of manual wheelchair ramps at Tube stations after positive feedback during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The ramps were introduced at 16 “key” stations where there are gaps between the train and platform, allowing passengers to board more easily.
A review into their continued use will now take place over the next few months.
TfL says the review will examine benefits to customers, reliability, cost, level of usage and potential locations for future use.
The existing ramps will remain in use during the review.
Mike Brown, London Underground Managing Director, said: “These ramps have proved to be very useful for our customers and we are going to continue to use them after the Games whilst we review whether they are permanently viable.”
Commenting on the announcements, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Leader Caroline Pidgeon said: “This announcement ends some uncertainty – it would have been a scandal if these ramps were removed just days after the Paralympic Games.
“However why even bother with a review? The ramps have proved both necessary and successful. They should not only be permanently maintained but extended to more tube stations.”
Labour’s City Hall Transport spokesperson Val Shawcross said: “This is good news that the temporary ramps will be kept at 16 tube stations. We will keep a close eye on the mayor to make sure they are kept in place permanently. However, for the long-term we need leadership from the Mayor and a clear statement of when all our tube stations will have step free access. We need vision to solve the plight of the Londoners who are barred from 183 Tube stations.
“The Paralympic Games have been a huge success, we now need to build on the momentum from the games and deliver a lasting legacy for our tube network by making it truly accessible for all. It is a scandal that there are 183 stations in London that are inaccessible for disabled Londoners, with 119 of these being even further isolated as there is no accessible station either side of them.”
