On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 20:24:04 GMT, "Richard J."
wrote:
Acrosticus wrote:
From: "Brimstone"
Date: 09/04/2004 09:18 GMT Standard Time
The primary concern with allowing wheelchairs onto the Underground,
specifically the tube lines, is getting them out in the event of an
emergency. The interconnecting doors between cars aren't wide
enough nor is the door in the front of the train allowing
emergency access to the track permitting emergency evacuation
along the track to the next station.
Therefore it is surely the trains that are unsafe and not
wheelchair users? Back in the 1980s London Transport published a
pathetic leaflet about disabled access and concerning wheelchair
users and the underground it as good as said "Bugger off, you're a
fire hazard. Why not take a taxi instead". It seems the same
cavalier attitude is still abroad today, even though the world has
moved on and disability awareness has increased (in most places).
The underground people seem to have stuck their head in the sand
and hoped disability access problems would go away. They won't, and
they're just about to get it in the neck for their longstanding
negligence - which serves them right.
Complete rubbish. If a wheelchair user needs to access any level other
than ground level, a lift is required. In the event of fire, the lifts
are not available, and people have to use the stairs. In those
circumstances, wheelchair users have to be carried to ground level. The
same applies to tube trains.
You can design in 'places of safety' where wheelchair users can be
left until the fire brigade rescures them....
Rob.
--
rob at robertwoolley dot co dot uk