8/10 OF LONDON'S TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS WILL LACK DISABLED TUBE ACCESS FOR 2012 GAMES (Dee Doocey)

8/10 OF LONDON'S TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS WILL LACK DISABLED TUBE ACCESS FOR 2012 GAMES

May 9, 2007 8:49 AM

Liberal Democrat research has revealed that eight of London's top tourist attractions will not be accessible to disabled visitors by the time of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Top sites identified by Visit London, such as the Tate Galleries and the British Museum, are not on the programme of refurbishment to include disabled access until 2020.

Commenting on the findings, Liberal Democrat Olympics Spokesperson on the London Assembly, Dee Doocey, said:

"In six years time, London will be hosting the greatest of all sporting events.

The Mayor talks a lot about an inclusive London, so why isn't he working flat out to get key stations like Charing Cross and Tottenham Court Road accessible to all passengers?

'Disabled athletes and visitors to the Games travelling on the Javelin trains from Stratford to St Pancras will not be able to continue their journey into central London to visit the capital's top attractions because most of the Tube stations either have steps or escalators. They won't even be able to use Piccadilly or Oxford Circus.

'The Mayor plans to make 27 Tube stations step-free by 2012 - most of them are in outer London. It is time he ordered a major re-think on priorities and got work started on the stations that will really matter for the Olympics."