London has many forms of public transport, but not all of them are ideal for disabled people in wheelchairs. The tube will cause a few problems as not all the stations have lift access and nearly all of them have long steep steps that lead to the platforms. It is always a good idea to plan your journey in advance.

We have pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by the different forms of London transport below.

Tube
The London Tube is probably the least user friendly form of transport for wheelchair users. The majority of London's tube stations are only accessible by steep steps, which are a definite no go, especially during rush hours when thousand of commuters run and push past each other on their way to and from work. If you really have no alternative but to use the tube, avoid these busy times at all costs. There are some tube stations that do provide disabled access, these can be found on the map below, which is available to download and print.


There are some new Jubilee Line tube trains that cater for wheelchair access and stations starting at Westminster through to Stratford are accessible by lift. If you need any further information about whether the lift is operational please telephone: +44 (020) 7308 2800 weekdays and +44 (020) 7222 1234 evening and weekends.

Bus
The buses in London offer better accessibility than the tube, but even so, there is a long way to go for them to be classed as the ideal transport for disabled users. London Transport is slowly introducing new buses which are fitted with ramps, capable of lowering down to the pavement to enable wheelchair users to board. By the year 2006, London hopes to have a completely accessible bus service. Extra space is also being made available on board the buses for wheelchairs. It is not a good idea for disabled wheelchair bound people to attempt to catch a bus during rush hour, either in the morning or evening - the buses are packed with commuters and school children.

There are some buses that are fully accessible and provide convenient transport to and from the train stations - these are the Station Link buses.
Mobility buses operate in the majority of areas in Greater London and provide wheelchair accessible transport travelling on useful routes between shopping areas and residential areas. Tel: +44 (0)20 7941 4600 for more information.

A bus service linking Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport is provided by Airbus
Telephone: 020 8400 6655

Download London Bus maps http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/buses_map.shtml


Black Cab
London's black cabs are the best way for wheelchair bound users to travel around London. All of the black cabs are wheelchair friendly and have other fixtures/fittings including seats that swivel, leather handles to hold onto and intercom. Some of the taxis are even fitted with a seat that can be lowered, this provides wheelchair customers an easier way of entering the cab. Black cabs have the advantage over mini cabs in that they can be flagged down from the street. Keep an eye out for the orange "For Hire" sign in the window - if this is lit, go ahead and flag the cab down. London's cab drivers are real characters and will keep you engaged in some good conversation throughout your journey and most of the black cab drivers will be happy to help you getting in and out of the cab. Guide dogs are allowed in all black cabs and can travel with their owner for free.

Mini Cab
Plenty of mini cabs are available to hire throughout London but they just don't offer the same sort of service that the black cabs provide in terms of helping disabled passengers with wheelchair access. The mini cab drivers will be able to help you in and out of the taxi but many just don't have the facilities, ramps etc.

Train
Disabled users who need to travel by train in London will be happy to know that staff at most of the stations can help you onto the train and arrangements can be made for someone to meet you off the train when you get to your destination - More details of the various train operatorscan be found on the website for National Rail.
For more information about trains in London: Telephone 08457 48 49 50

Docklands Light Railway
The DLR is very accessible for wheelchair users - The platforms, accessible by the lifts and escalators, have been designed so they are in line with the train doors and there is no step to climb when entering the train. All of the Docklands trains have a designated wheelchair area.

Tram
Trams are a very convenient way for disabled users to travel in London. All of the trams in London have a touch strip mounted on the side - this is a useful aid that blind people use to guide them when they are boarding. All of the trams have dedicated wheelchair space with intercom for emergency situations and the button for the doors is situated at a convenient height for wheelchair users, who will find getting on and off the trams fairly easy. Some of the tram stations even have lift access to other services and street level.

Car
London is an expensive place to park a car and even if you are disabled with a valid badge, the task doesn't get much easier. The parking rules and regulations are a bit stricter in some boroughs of London and parking on double yellow lines, even for badge holders is a definite no. Some boroughs are less restrictive for disabled badge holders and you can happily park for free at some of the pay and display car parks and metered street parking. If you are not sure, please check before you park as a large fine often offends!
Parking Info: Telephone +44 (0)161 342 2465, minicom +44 (0)161 342 2460

Useful Links
www.wheelchair-travel.co.uk
Driver/driverless vehicles for hire

www.describe-online.com
Useful text versions of the London Underground maps

Download London underground maps
To view the maps on your computer click on the links below
To save the maps to your computer for printing right click on the links and choose save target as

Map 1 - front
Map 1 - back
Map 2 - black/white version

If you can't see the maps you may not have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer

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