At a time when people with disabilities are already threatened with restrictions on car transport through low-traffic neighbourhoods, Transport for London has announced plans for drastic cuts on the buses.
Both schemes have been introduced without adequate consultation with those who are most likely to be adversely affected.
TfL plans to axe up to 16 bus routes and amend 78 routes as part of a plan to meet savings targets imposed by the government.
This amounts to around a 20% reduction in bus services and an overall 4% reduction in the distance travelled by London buses. Local routes under threat include the 349 from Stamford Hill to Ponders End via Tottenham. The 259, 279 and 214 routes also face significant reductions.
Many people with a range of disabilities, including autism and learning disabilities as well as mobility impairments, rely on the buses. Many use buses rather than the tube because of anxiety as well as issues of restricted access. Many people who are reliant on benefits cannot afford taxis, especially in the context of the current inflation in energy and other household prices.
Some who are able to work will be affected by cuts in night buses, which will also impose greater burdens on carers. Disabled people undergoing hospital outpatient treatments are likely to face longer journeys, traffic jams and delays. More people with disabilities will face further social isolation, finding themselves stranded in their own homes.
Haringey Council deputy leader Mike Hakata has spoken out against the bus cuts: "Haringey residents will be worse off under these proposals, especially those on a lower income, those with young children, and residents with mobility impairments. With the cost-of-living crisis already putting strain on the pockets of local people, cuts to our buses is another way this Conservative government is levelling down London."
The Trades Union Congress has pointed out that these bus service cuts would disproportionately affect and discriminate against poor and disabled people, and could be in breach of the public sector equality duties of both the Greater London Authority's and TfL.
Mary Langan is chair of Haringey Severe and Complex Needs Reference Group.
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