Transport bosses have admitted there is “much more to do” to improve the quality of service received by users of Dial-A-Ride and other door-to-door services.
The admission comes after publication of a London Assembly report into the performance of Dial-a-Ride, Taxicard, CapitalCall, Community Transport, NHS Patient Transport Service and Adult Social Services/Children transport services in the capital.
Such services ensure Londoners who encounter difficulties using the capital’s transport network can still get around.
However London Assembly Members say they “are not meeting the needs of users” who still encounter difficulties when booking and making their trips, despite promises that improvements would be made following a 2015 report highlighting failures.
Transport for London previously promised to deliver greater integration of services in order to boost user experience, however AMs say there has been a “lack of real progress” in delivering this commitment and have branded the delay as “inexcusable.”
In their report, AMs call on TfL to publish “a timed plan” for implementing its integration roadmap and urge it to explore the feasibility of introducing personal budgets “which would allow users to take control over the journeys they make and who provides them. “
AM Keith Prince, who released the report on behalf of the Assembly’s Transport Committee, said: “TfL is really dragging its feet on this small but essential part of London’s transport system and service users are rightly fed-up of waiting.”
“Integrating services would help to deliver a truly user‑led door-to-door service and an opportunity to introduce personal budgets. This would allow users to choose what door-to-door journeys they want to make and who will provide them.”
Mr Prince said such a development would give users “a freedom every other traveller takes for granted.”
TfL bosses say they “welcome” the new report and accept that improvements are needed.
Leon Daniels, the agency’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: “We fully recognise that there is much more to do to make our door-to-door services more accessible to all Londoners.
“The TfL Board has asked us to examine the range of options for people who need support to travel in London and how they can be improved.
“We welcome the Transport Committee’s report and will review it as part of this work.”
