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Post by alpinejohn on Nov 27, 2019 12:00:36 GMT
The difficult decision to grant an exemption from RVAR compliance is understandable (as the idea of banning all the existing (non-compliant) rolling stock is not going to go down well with anyone). But it is still definitely unwelcome given how our changing population age profile will inevitably mean that growing numbers of the baby boom generation will become increasingly dependent on public transport services if they can no longer continue driving because their eyesight has deteriorated. Hence it really is important to maintain pressure on public transport operators to deliver the combination of audio and visual information streams to travellers, and ideally make services fully accessible. Obviously accessibility compliance is an issue which runs well beyond the Bakerloo - so Mods may prefer to shift this discussion to a more general thread. I certainly wonder if the legislators missed a trick when drawing up these regulations by leaving out a suitable carrot/stick incentive to deliver fully accessible services. As it stands, we now have some absurd consequnces - whereby some train operators who have rolling stock with working but "non-compliant" toilets have simply decided to have those toilets locked out of use - to make them "compliant". www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/toilets-many-arriva-trains-wales-14598405Surely they should have provided a strong financial incentive (perhaps offering lower track access charges for services using compliant rolling stock) to encourage the provision of accessible facilities rather than an incentive to deprive them from the majority of customers. Sadly this seems another fine example of the law of unintended consequences in action.
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Post by brigham on Nov 28, 2019 9:26:48 GMT
Nobody escapes the Topsy-Turvy World Order!
Sorry for the inCONVENIENCE (Boom Boom!)
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Post by Chris L on Nov 28, 2019 18:30:59 GMT
It's all very well making Bakerloo line train accessible but how about the stations?
Very few have lifts to platform level.
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Nov 28, 2019 19:47:29 GMT
Chris L as noted a few posts above, there are several stations that are partially accessible to wheelchair users and accessibility is about far more than just wheelchair users. Additionally, Paddington will become fully accessible when the low-level station opens (or maybe before, if that's possible) - even on its own this will open up many journeys due to the same-direction interchanges available. I think also work at Waterloo is in the early planning phase? Another point to consider is that for a fully accessible railway both trains and stations need to be accessible. Waiting for one to be done before you do the other leads to a chicken and egg scenario where one is perpetually waiting for the other. The limited accessibility of stations served by the trains will also be one factor considered when granting the derogation. Yes, making all the stations accessible is something that should be being done (and is being done) but even with unlimited funds that would be expensive and time consuming (and technically very difficult at some locations) and of limited utility if the trains are not accessible.
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Post by tjw on Nov 28, 2019 20:52:33 GMT
Hence it really is important to maintain pressure on public transport operators to deliver the combination of audio and visual information streams to travellers, and ideally make services fully accessible. It would be good if the audio and visual information agreed with each other, as they do not during times of disruption. This causes major confusion! I note that many elderly people don't seem to be able to read the rolling dot matrix indicators... Perhaps they are looking for a finger board that had all the stops listed clearly? The other problem is the boards do not give correct information... Looking at the new boards at Amersham over the last couple or weeks, the arrival times for the Chiltern (Up Train) go 7min, then 3 min, then 1 min. So the sign may say you have 7 mins to use the toilet, but in fact you have under 4 mins. As for Victoria, the new lifts take some mental effort to work out, it makes the mess at Canada water look like a walk in the park. Its is sad that a person of limited mobility travelling in from Brighton may end up struggling across the concourse, and through a maze of passages and lifts on their way to say the Victoria and Albert Museum, when there is a more convenient bus just outside the door. I have already told my less able friends in Norbury to ignore the new signs for lifts at Victoria and get the bus (or Taxi) as they have always done. The Railways have spent a fortune on Passenger information screens and I wonder that if they ever get them to work accurately in every carriage and station, by that time we will all have a mobile device that gives the same or better information that is tailored to each user's needs.
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Post by Chris L on Nov 29, 2019 5:55:01 GMT
Chris L as noted a few posts above, there are several stations that are partially accessible to wheelchair users and accessibility is about far more than just wheelchair users. Additionally, Paddington will become fully accessible when the low-level station opens (or maybe before, if that's possible) - even on its own this will open up many journeys due to the same-direction interchanges available. I think also work at Waterloo is in the early planning phase? Another point to consider is that for a fully accessible railway both trains and stations need to be accessible. Waiting for one to be done before you do the other leads to a chicken and egg scenario where one is perpetually waiting for the other. The limited accessibility of stations served by the trains will also be one factor considered when granting the derogation. Yes, making all the stations accessible is something that should be being done (and is being done) but even with unlimited funds that would be expensive and time consuming (and technically very difficult at some locations) and of limited utility if the trains are not accessible. The point I'm making is that the stations north of Queens Park are falling between Network Rail and TfL proposals.
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