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Helping you get out and aboutDoor-to-door services in LondonAccessible transport services Public transport in London is becoming more accessible. The introduction of low floor buses and the fully accessible Dockland Light Railway and Croydon Tramlink offer disabled people more opportunities to get around. If you have a freedom pass these services can be used for free. To find out more about accessible services in London phone the 24 hour travel information number on 020 7222 1234 (or textphone on 020 7918 3015). If you still have difficulties using public transport, subsidised door-to-door services may be for you. Subsidised door-to-door transport is intended to provide disabled people who are unable, or have severe difficulty in using public transport the freedom to move around London. The page will help you decide whether you should apply to use door-to-door transport and which service is best suited to your needs. It provides an overview of Dial-a-Ride, Taxicard and Capital Call and also outlines other community transport schemes available. Door-to-door services Door-to-door transport is provided to help you get around. You can use any of the services for trips such as visiting friends, shopping or doctors appointments. Please note, however, the services are not intended for transport to work or hospital. Transport to work If you have to travel regularly to work each day and you are unable, due to your disability, to use buses, trains or Tubes, you may be eligible to apply for assistance from the Department of Work and Pensions through the Access to Work scheme. Please contact your local Job Centre for more details. Transport to hospital If you feel that you need assistance in getting to hospital for a medical appointment, please contact your doctor or consultant for details of non-emergency patient transport services provided by NHS Primary Care Trusts. Contents
Dial-a-Ride Dial-a-Ride is available in all London boroughs and is multi-occupancy door-to-door transport service for disabled people who cannot use buses, trains and the Tube. It can be used for all sorts of journeys, for example shopping, visiting friends and family, college, doctors and dentists appointments and going out at night. How does it work? Dial-a-Ride is a membership service which you pre-book. Fares, based on the length of your journey, are not expensive and start from 60p for a trip of less than a mile. You will usually be expected to travel with other passengers going in the same direction and may have your journey time extended by picking up or dropping off others on the way to your destination. Dial-a-Ride is generally best for providing local trips but longer journeys can often be arranged on request. Dial-a-Ride membership To be eligible for Dial-a-Ride membership you must have a permanent or long-term display which makes you unable or virtually unable to use public transport services. You may be asked to undergo a mobility assessment ( see page 10 for more information) to establish your level of difficulty in using public transport, unless you are:
How to apply If you think you may be eligible for Dial-a-Ride you should contact your local London Dial-a-Ride depot for an application form. The depot to call is determined by the borough you live in. Please refer to the map on page 4 for contact details. Dial-a-Ride:
Dial-a-Ride Services Paddington Depot Palmers Green Depot Perivale Depot Woodford Depot Taxicard Taxicard is available in all London boroughs and is for people with mobility problems who find it difficult to use buses, trains and the Tube. Taxicard uses licensed taxis to provide trips for social purposes, for example going shopping, visiting friends and family, going out to events. How does it work? Taxicard provides reduced cost trips in licensed taxis, so you do not pay the full metered fare. Taxicard is managed by the Association of London Government (ALG) and is jointly funded by your local council and Transport for London. Taxicard fares You will pay a minimum fare, usually £1.50, and can travel up to a maximum fare of £11.80 on the taxi-meter. If the journey goes above the maximum subsidy then you will pay the extra. The fare may vary according to traffic conditions and time of day, because the meter works on a combination of distance and time. The taxi tariff is more expensive in the evening and at weekends. Taxicard membership There are certain people who will be eligible to join Taxicard automatically. These are those two:
If you are not in one of these categories you will either have to get your doctor to certify that you are eligible for a Taxicard or you will have to undergo a mobility assessment and possibly attend and interview. How to apply
Contact the ALG Operations Unit: Taxicard
Capital Call Capital Call uses licensed Private Hire Vehicles (mincabs), and is for disabled people who cannot use buses, trains and Tubes. Please note, you must be a Taxicard member to apply for this service. Capital Call was introduced to support Taxicard in boroughs where there are limited licensed black taxi and is currently available in the following boroughs; Bexley, Enfield, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton and Southwark. The service can be used for all sorts of social journeys, for example shopping, visiting friends and family, doctors and dentists appointments going out at night. It is not intended to travel to hospitals for medical appointments. How does it work? Capital Call is similar to Taxicard in that you will pay a minimum charge to take your trip. However, unlike Taxicard there are no meter charges. You will be told the cost of your trip at the time of booking. All members of Capital Call are given an annual budget to cover the cost of trips. The budget will allow you to take lots of local trips or to make a few longer journeys. You will pay only the minimum charge until you use up your budget. Capital Call bookings can only be made during normal office hours, but you can take your trip at anytime. Capital Call Membership You must be a member of Taxicard and live in a borough in which Captial Call operates. How to apply If you are already a Taxicard member and require further information, phone Capital Call on 020 7272 2446. If you are not a Taxicard member, please refer to the Taxicard section for details of how to apply at here. Capital Call:
Capital Call is funded by Transport for London. Mobility assessments Taxicard and Dial-a-Ride New application procedures are being introduced for Taxicard and Dial-a-Ride and vary from borough to borough. In some boroughs you will need to undergo a mobility assessment and in others you will need to get your doctor to support your application and possibly also have a mobility assessment at a later date. You will be advised about the mobility assessment procedures for your borough during the application process. What is a mobility assessment? A mobility assessment is used to find out the extent of your mobility impairment or in other words your ability to use public transport. The mobility assessment has up to three stages: Your completed application form is sent to mobility assessors. Based on your information the mobility assessors will make a decision on your eligibility or will ask you or your nominated health / social care professional for more information. If the mobility assessors feel they need to have more information about your mobility impairment they will invite you to attend an assessment clinic. There is a right of appeal if you are denied access to Taxicard and / or Dial-a-Ride. Mobility assessments - frequently asked questions What sort of questions will I be asked? You will have to answer questions about your mobility, for example, how far you can walk unaided, how long you can stand and it you can climb steps. How long will it take? We aim to complete the whole process within six weeks of your application. The interview may take up to one hour. Does it cost me anything to pay? No, it is free to apply. I am not sure I am eligible what should I do? You should call either the Taxicard number or the appropriate Dial-a-Ride depot for your borough where the operator will be pleased to help you. How can I get help filling out the form? The form comes with guidance on how to complete it. There will also be other help available to you but you must contact your local borough. Community and other transport services Most, but not all, London borough have community transport projects which provide a range of services for older or disabled people who cannot, or cannot easily, use public transport. Community Car Schemes are usually provided in saloon cars or people-carriers, many of which are adapted to take passengers using wheelchairs or who have disabilities that make it difficult to get in and out of vehicles. Trips can be long or short and are not usually confined to within the borough boundary. If you are unable to use public transport, or cannot use it without great difficulty, you will be able to register for membership of a community car scheme that is based in the borough in which you live. Fares tend to be based on the number of miles travelled and usually work out slightly cheaper than a standard minicab journey. PlusBus services are available in some boroughs. These are accessible minibuses providing a local service for older and disabled people. Although they follow pre-determined routes, like an ordinary bus, buses, will stop at any point along the route (so long as it is safe to do so) and drivers will provide assistance with boarding and alighting if required. There is usually a one-off joining fee (often about £1) but individual journeys are free. Mobility Buses are wheelchair accessible London that are isolated from mainstream bus services with local shopping centres and supermarkets. Each Mobility Bus route provides a timetabled service that does not need to be pre-booked on certain days of each week. Freedom passes are valid on Mobility Buses, and the same cash fares apply as for journeys on all other London Buses, and the same cash fares apply as for journeys on all other London Buses. Full details of Mobility Bus routes and timetables can be obtained from Transport for London's 24 hour travel information number 020 7222 1234 or by textphone 020 7918 3015. Shopper services are provided in some boroughs. The services are provided at specified times and on particular days of the week and take passengers from home to a local supermarket or shopping centre. Passengers must pre-book and will be collected from their front door. The return trip is also at a fixed time and will usually be about two or three hours later. Membership is either very low cost (about £1) or free while fares are usually about £2 for a return journey. Shopmobility is linked into the Shopper service and can, where necessary, provide passenger assistants free of charge. Please click her for the list of Shopmobility services. Group Transport services are provided where local organisations need to use an accessible minibus to help their members reach a day centre, go on a day trip or participate in some other activity. The organisation using the vehicle pays a small annual fee and is charged according to how long the vehicle is use for. Contact your borough to find out if community transport services operate in your area. Community Transport services map Barking and Dagenham Barnet Brent Bexley Croydon Ealing Enfield Hackney and Islington Hammersmith and Fulham Harrow Havering Hillingdon Hounslow Kensington and Chelsea Lambeth and Southwark Lewisham Merton Newham Richmond and Kingston Sutton Tower Hamlets Waltham Forest Wandsworth The source is credited to Transport for London |
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