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Disability spokesman slams Boris's policies
Friday, 14 May 2010

No Access: Patrick Horan at Rotherhithe station
LONDON Mayor Boris Johnson is to blame for a failure to upgrade wheelchair access at railway stations as £1billion was spent on refurbishing the East London Line, according to the head of a disability rights group.
Patrick Horan, Southwark Disablement Association chairman, said access should have been improved at Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe.
Mr Horan, who campaigned unsuccessfully as an independent candidate in the local elections for Rotherhithe ward, in Southwark, said: “It’s a very bad missed opportunity.”
He claimed he was told at a meeting of Rotherhithe Community Council that upgrades at the two stations were too expensive.
He added: “I blame Boris Johnson, who had the final say.”
Mr Johnson has left Transport for London(TfL) short of cash for improvements, thanks to policies that included axeing Ken Livingstone’s congestion charge in west London, Mr Horan claims.
He said: “Disabled people in wheelchairs, the elderly and infirm and mothers with pushchairs are now paying the price.”
Mr Horan said Surrey Quays had a device for getting light wheelchairs to the platform, but powered chairs like his were too heavy for it.
Despite this, turnstiles at both stations display the blue wheelchair access logo.
Mr Horan said: “What is funny is both stations have the international disabled logo on the barriers – pointless as you cannot go anywhere.”
A TfL spokesman said: “Installing lifts at Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays would be a major financial and technical undertaking and was not possible during the recent refurbishment.”
He added that Canada Water station, 250 metres from Rotherhithe and 500 metres from Surrey Quays, was fully accessible.
London Mayor Mr Johnson was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.
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