“With the strikes driving everyone to their wits’ end, patience runs thin, making it difficult for others to clear a path for me or allow the driver to set the ramp for my boarding.”
Katie McConnell, a dance instructor and accessibility consultant who uses a wheelchair, notes that the Tube strikes have significantly complicated her navigation around London.
She recounts an incident during the strikes when a bus driver passed her by, despite an available wheelchair space.
Transport for London (TfL) asserts that it boasts “one of the most accessible bus networks in the world.” According to UK legislation, wheelchair users are entitled to priority in designated wheelchair areas on buses, and drivers are required to assist with boarding and alighting.
However, Katie argues that adherence to these regulations wavers, especially during strikes, when she perceives that drivers lack both the time and patience to comply with the requirements.
What typically takes an able-bodied person 25 minutes for her commute now extends beyond two hours during the strikes, up from her usual 45-minute journey.
As a result, she’s been compelled to forgo her rest periods to ensure she reaches work on time during the strike days, a difficult sacrifice for someone managing chronic illness.
Katie has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which makes her prone to severe injuries from accidental bumps or falls, and she experiences autism, which can render crowded buses particularly overwhelming.
“Venturing out as a young woman in a wheelchair can feel daunting under normal circumstances. I’ve faced unwanted physical contact in public, and individuals have pushed my chair without permission,” she shares.
Other commuters with health challenges have expressed to BBC London how strikes have exacerbated their travel difficulties, making their journeys perilous or even unfeasible.
They highlight issues such as limited space and bus overcrowding, the elevated costs and scarcity of taxi services, and a lack of alternative transportation options.
While many passengers have opted to avoid travel in and around London during recent strikes, for individuals like Katie, avoiding travel is simply not an option.
TfL has issued apologies regarding the difficulties faced by disabled users during the strikes, emphasizing the belief that “everyone deserves to navigate London safely and comfortably.”
Amelia Peckham, a co-founder of Cool Crutches, relocated from London to Yorkshire seven years ago due to the challenges of public transport accessibility.
Despite this, she continues to travel to London biweekly for her job, expressing that “getting around London with a disability is a challenge even on a good day when the Tubes are operational.”
“A Tube strike instantly renders the entire city inaccessible, effectively excluding disabled individuals from mobility,” she asserts.
This week, Amelia adjusted her plans to steer clear of London, recalling a past experience during a strike when she waited two hours for a taxi that ultimately canceled upon arrival.
She suspects that taxi drivers are less inclined to accept disabled passengers during strikes due to a belief that they often require shorter, less profitable trips compared to their able-bodied counterparts.
Kate Stanforth has similarly altered her work schedule to avoid London during the Tube strikes, concerned that the heightened risk of being bumped in her wheelchair could lead to injury, stating, “I’m not willing to take that chance.”
She recalls an earlier train strike incident where someone accidentally struck her head with their luggage.
Kate, a professional dancer and advocate residing in Northumberland, frequently travels to London for work but believes the city’s transport system is “generally quite inaccessible.”
“When avoiding the Tube, the bus becomes the alternative. However, on a bus, only one or two wheelchair spaces exist, and we’re often in competition with strollers, even though we’re entitled to priority,” she explains.
While TfL reports that over a third of Tube stations and more than half of Overground stations are step-free, as well as all stations on the Elizabeth line and Docklands Light Railway (DLR), disability rights advocates highlight that many step-free stations can still lack accessibility due to malfunctioning lifts.
During the strikes, step-free access at the Bank DLR station was unavailable, prompting TfL to advise customers to seek assistance to reach alternative access lifts.
TfL noted they strive to maintain as many services as possible during strikes, including the bus network, Dial-a-Ride, and a “turn up and go” service on the Elizabeth line and Overground.
This service features assistance from station staff to plan step-free journeys, guide passengers through stations and onto trains, and ensure further assistance upon arrival at their destination and during any transfers.
