Transport talks thrown off track

A woman in a wheelchair on her way to talk to rail bosses about
policies for disabled people last week missed the meeting after
being sent on a two-hour train journey to change platforms.

When Ann Bates, a member of the Rail Passengers Council, arrived at
London’s City Thameslink station she was told that she could not
get off her train because the northbound platform lift was broken.
Instead, she was advised by a station guard to make the two-hour
round-trip to Luton Airport and back to City’s southbound platform,
where a lift was working.

Bates said the story highlighted the difficulties disabled people
faced when using public transport. “They could have phoned me to
tell me the lift wasn’t working,” she said.