Haringey pledge to make all bus stops accessible. More than one in four bus stops in Haringey are still not accessible to disabled people – but plans are in hand to make every single one disability-friendly within 18 months.

The borough’s Liberal Democrats cited statistics revealing that 28 per cent of all bus stops remain inaccessible a year on from the London 2012 Paralympics.

Scattered right across the borough, they include stops along Green Lanes, Alexandra Palace Way, Hornsey High Street, Lordship Lane, Stroud Green Road and Wood Green High Road.

Cllr Jim Jenks, Lib Dem transport spokesman, said: “The council and Transport for London need to work together and ensure that every bus stop in the borough can be used by disabled people. A year after the Paralympics, one in four bus stops being unusable for disabled people is just not acceptable.”

Local resident Tracey Proudlock added: “Whilst the borough has such poor access for disabled people to both Tube and Overground stations, it’s critically important that everyone works that bit harder to get access to buses and bus stops.

“Without accessible transport disabled people are locked out of employment opportunities, denied choices and excluded from society.”

Lib Dem Muswell Hill councillor Gail Engert added: “Disabled people should be able to use public transport without having to worry that the bus may not be able to pick them up at the bus stop.”

But the borough’s bus stop accessibility is in line with other authorities in the capital.

Mike Weston, operations director for London Buses, said: “We take the accessibility of the bus network extremely seriously. That is why we have made significant progress in increasing the percentage of fully accessible bus stops across the capital from 29 per cent in 2008 to the current level of 71 per cent.

“We have committed a further £18million of funding to ensure 95 per cent of London’s bus stops are fully accessible by 2016.

“In Haringey more than 70 per cent of bus stops are fully accessible. We have committed £100,000 of additional funding [to Haringey] to deliver improvements to a number of bus stops throughout the borough in the coming year.”

A Haringey Council spokesperson said: “We want all disabled to enjoy the best possible experience of public transport, and our aim is to ensure all bus stops in the borough are accessible.

“We have been successful in securing significant additional investment from TFL to ensure that we are on target to meet the GLA target of full accessibility within the next 18 months.

“We have an ambitious programme of improvements coming up, starting with making an additional 10 bus stops accessible on Green Lanes.”

Source: Tottenham & Wood Green Journal

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