subject: Wheelchair Access At London Tube Stations [print this page] Transport for London have apparently wasted more than 64 million pounds on a scheme which has collapsed which was meant to make seven tube stations accessible to disabled passengers and parents with push chairs.
The total cost of abandoning the scheme which would have involved providing lift from ground level to platform level has been revealed recently. The figures are quite shocking and the lack of result will be irritating to many people.
It has been discovered that TFL spent around 39 million pounds as Shepherd's Bush station with an estimated 4.4 million being spent on new lifts and the fees of the contractor reaching 22 million, even though all that got built were two lift shafts, only once building was began did the full difficulties of the project come to light.
Travel for London said in a statement: "Installing a lift at Shepherd's Bush station was always going to be costly and technically challenging because of the layout and condition of the below-ground station. Perhaps better planning would have helped travel for London understand the extent of the size of the project both money wise and development wise.
Some other development has been stopped at a further six stations since September last year due to travel for London not having enough money to continue. The work was halted at this point "to avoid further impacting the customer environment and to avoid incurring unnecessary construction or reinstatement costs", explained Travel for London.
The collapse of the scheme means that wheelchair users and parents with buggies will not have lift access to platforms now. There is an outside possibility that the projects could be restarted in the future however there are no immediate plans. This is a big disappointment to many and the amount of money that has been spent on the project with no results is extremely frustrating.
