Dial-a-Ride is failing disabled people across London - Pidgeon
September 25, 2009 12:00 AM
Disabled and elderly people across the whole of London have faced a growing number of refused trips from Transport for London's Dial-a-Ride service.
Following extensive questioning by Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, the Mayor has been forced to release figures showing that over the last two years there has been more than a 50% increase in the number of trips refused to disabled and elderly people who rely on the Dial-a-Ride service.
Commenting on the figures Caroline Pidgeon said:
"Three years ago Transport for London promised disabled Londoners a far better deal from Dial-a-Ride. They specifically promised that the number of refused trips would halve in just two years. Yet instead of falling the number of refused trips have actually gone up by more than 50%. It is simply appalling every day of the year more than 400 trips are now refused to Dial-a-Ride users.
"Far from the new centralised computer booking system providing a better service the reality for disabled Londoners who rely on Dial-a-Ride is frequent inconvenience and isolation due to vital trips being denied to them.
"It is time that Boris Johnson stopped making excuses over Dial-a-Ride and instead honestly admit that its service falls a long way short of what is necessary for some of the most vulnerable people in London."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. In the 2007 Transport for London Investment Programme (published in November 2006) it was stated:
"The Investment Programme includes the implementation of a scheduling and booking system. This is planned to be live at all Dial-a Ride depots by December 2007, enabling the current refusal rate of 99,000 to be halved, better scheduling and improved call answering, with same-day bookings becoming possible."
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/01_Summary(1).pdf (page 67 of the document)
2. In 2006 Transport for London were refusing 99,000 trips a year to Dial-a-Ride users. In the year 2007 - 2008 the number had increased to 125,781, and in 2008 - 2009 the number had increased even further to 154,460 a year.
3. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, is Chair of Transport for London. Caroline Pidgeon is Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee.
4. For more information about Dial-a-Ride see: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/3222.aspx
5. For details of the performance of Dial-a-Ride for each London Borough between 2007 and 2009 see the briefings and reports section of this website.
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