To be appalled at the lack of access for wheelchairs & prams

[Bowejangles]

Travelling across London today with DS 7mo in his pram, arrived at London bridge to find there's no lifts down to the underground available, only a shit load of escalators then some stairs after that.

Had to carry an excitable and very wriggly baby down the moving escalators in my arms. Escalators were heaving with people rushing past, bumping into us. Nervous is an understatement, it was downright dangerous.

Aibu to think this is ridiculously unsafe and not acceptable for one of the busiest stations in london?

More over, how the hell are people in wheelchairs supposed to use the underground?

Agreed, there needs to be a law passed and government grants given to make train stations more accessible. It’s awful.

YANBU. And in many cases people thoughtlessly obstruct access which would otherwise be suitable. I’m looking at you, drivers who park on the pavement!

I don't know how they get away with it considering high traffic places are generally frowned upon for not having accessibility

It is appalling. For future trips there is a great app called Mumderground which helps you find step free routes

This doesn't help people in wheelchairs, but you can ask for the escalator to be turned off.

And yes, access is shit. I once arrived at a station that was advertised as accessible, only to find they closed the lifts after a certain time in the evening... missed my connection due to having to stand around waiting for someone to come and escort me through the closed bit.

Thank you Camsie that will be a god send no doubt!

I really want to know what wheelchair users who are completely immobile are supposed to do when they are up against it. I was in a rush today otherwise would have happily put the question to the employees.

Drag themselves onto the escalators and ask a passer by to hold the chair no doubt

But they do have lifts...

What's happened to the lift then?

I could've sworn London Bridge had one. In fact I thought it was replaced fairly recently, unless I'm thinking of another station?

Christ! I didn't know that! To clarify, there's no series of ramps? Fucking hell.

I also thought London Bridge was accessible and had lifts?

I remember saying to my Dh that if I couldn't get round London easily in a pram, how did they expect people using a wheelchair to do it?? It is so bad.

My MIL uses as wheelchair and I'm pretty sure she uses London Bridge station.

Not all underground stations can have lifts due to the age/design of the buildings but I think they're doing their best to make them as accessible as possible.

But WRT prams, some people do choose really unsuitable ones for travelling.

When my kids were little, I'd use a stroller for travelling with, not their usual bigger sturdier prams.

They have lifts to the the upper platform which we used for our connecting train but was told no lift access to the underground

Twice I've been through there and have been told the same thing when I've asked for help getting the pram downstairs

One recommendation was to walk to the next station where there is lift access

If they've had working lifts to the underground before they must have been out of service when I've passed through because I was explicitly told no sorry no lift access you'll have to use the escalator like the others

I don't travel into Cntrl London often but have had to on three occasions this year, twice I've had this problem at London bridge

YANBU, that’s terrible

It's not great with a wheelchair - we have to take my son periodically to GOSH.

If you go on TfL website they have a downloadable map with stepfree stations on which is helpful. The peripheral stations are pretty good but central London s dire. There's pretty much only Kings Cross/Euston and Green Park.

Ds is in a wheelchair. We don’t even attempt to use the underground when in London tbh, we have found the buses to be great and easy to access generally (we avoid rush hour!)

It's a giant pain I agree. However the London Underground is very old so as much as they try with improvements and putting in lifts etc I don't think it's ever going to be 100% wheelchair and pushchair accessible. The trick is to study the train and tube maps (which show which stations are 'step free') like mad and realise sometimes when going from, A to B you need to go via C. Obviously I don't know where you were heading but sometimes changing to a Charing Cross train at London Bridge works because Charing Cross train station is step free

It's mad in this day and age. I walked around London rather than tubes when I last had a baby as couldn't be faffed with it. I was shocked to discover my large hometown up north has no wheelchair access. Had to carry heavy baby and heavy pushchair up some steep steps. The sign nearby says you can ring a taxi free of charge to the nearest one that has a slope, helpful!

There are definitely lifts to the jubilee line,I used to use them frequently with a pram. Doesn’t mean they weren’t out of order though

It’s terrible for this in wheelchairs.

When we go to London I take our carrier for my youngest who is 2 to make it easier.

Actually yes I remember using lifts at London Bridge a few years ago. They were hidden around the back somewhere. Took ages to find them.

From the TFL website :
*! London Bridge Underground Station has reported access issues
LONDON BRIDGE STATION: Please note that step free interchange between the Jubilee and Northern lines is partly at street level, in both directions. Lifts are available between Northern line and Borough High Street entrance then via Borough High Street, St Thomas Street and Joiner Street to the main Underground ticket hall from where lifts are available to/from the Jubilee line *

That’s as clear as mud, then.

They have spent a shed load of money doing up the station and there is meant to be a new lift being constructed. Expecting people to go into the street and round about isn’t reasonable long term, especially in the rain.

I'm a wheelchair user and find buses much easier to navigate London. As PP have said there is also a step free map available and on the TFL online journey planner you can put in the route you need go do and select "step free" and it will give you all the options you have.