For disabled people, using public transport around the UK can be a stressful, dehumanising and somewhat terrifying ordeal.

Despite the legal obligation to ensure accessibility in travel, in practice, much of the transportation we rely on remains inaccessible or results in horrifying experiences. When it came to the railway, Transport For All (TFA) found;

  • 67% of stations have platforms which are too narrow for wheelchair users to turn,
  • Almost 1 in 5 assistance requests were unsuccessful in the year ending March 2023.
  • Only 11% of stations are staffed at all times with only 45% staffed only part-time
  • Only 1 in 4 mainline stations have step-free access
  • Only 2% of stations have level boarding.

Due to the inaccessibility of rail infrastructure, many disabled people rely upon staff assistance to travel by train and when an assistance request in unsuccessful or assistance is not available this has left many trapped on trains without the ability to get off at their designated stop, with some being overcarried and forced to travel the whole route. Delays in assistance can cause disruption to further journeys or cause missed connections and a lack of lift maintenance can leave people trapped on platforms without being able to access the exit to the station or catch a connecting train.

Ringrose Law are working hard to challenge this barriers to accessibly travel and have a number of active cases against the railway. The complaints raised also show a lack of disability awareness training and awareness in staff and that this can result in harassment or lack of willingness to assist in deploying ramps or allowing disabled passengers to use the service. TFA stated that 41% of disabled passengers experience negative behaviours and attitudes from drivers. Disabled people report that they feel like an extra burden, a second-class citizen, and that every journey is stressful, having to constantly be on guard and ready to argue their rights to public transport. They feel like they are constantly faced with a don’t care, not my problem attitude from staff members.

This sort of behaviour is rife when a disabled person attempts to exercise their right to Turn Up and Go. It is not always possible to plan a journey in advance and therefore passengers can turn up at any station that they have identified is accessible to them and request assistance on to a train from a member of staff, or via a help point or a Freephone number. This service is known as ‘Turn Up And Go’ and despite the right to this service, many disabled people are often refused travel due to failing to book assistance in advance.

As a result, disabled people cannot use public transport like most other members of the public. For example, Sam Jennings, a disability rights campaigner, had over 30 assistance fails within the first 18 months of becoming a wheelchair user with a single train provider and is gearing up for a second course of action following a further 50 reported failings by the same provider. In most recent news, we have also seen Paralympian Baroness Grey-Thompson having to crawl from a train service when no assistance was provided.

We can help

To combat this lack in accessibility, Ringrose Law is challenging the rail companies to ensure that changes are made to their platforms, ramp provision and training and provision of staff members. Together with the activist community we are now pushing for improvement in essential areas including holding transport operators and providers accountable for their services, ensuring accessibility information is available and accurate and that there are appropriate staffing levels with comprehensive Disability Equality Training.

The Discrimination team at Ringrose Law have a wealth of experience in representing disabled individuals in advocating their rights under the Equality Act 2010 and bringing around positive changes. Under the Equality Act 2010, transport operators must make reasonable adjustments for disabled passengers, as transport (taxis, buses and coaches, and trains) must be accessible to all, regardless of disability.

Contact Carrie and the team today on 0333 3580 393