In message .com,
" writes
Clearly, they are having their feathers ruffled, because within
minutes of my reply above, I have just received the following:-

"Dear Mr Maitland

"The Commission's policy in relation to Routemaster buses on Heritage
routes derives from recent changes made to disability discrimination
law. These changes require TfL to ensure that all its buses are fully
accessible by 2017. During the interview Mr Edwards did no more than
express disappointment that the very significant progress which TfL
had already made in replacing inaccessible buses (well ahead of the
statutory timetable) had not gone a bit further. Furthermore, he
correctly stated the legal position: if TfL continue to run
Routemasters beyond 2017 then any disabled person who is not able to
access a bus of that sort will have a cause of action in the county
court.
I wonder if they actually understand the basic issue, that the
Routemasters run as "extras" on routes already totally covered by
accessible buses? I reckon they think that the Heritage rotes somehow
don't come with an alternative.

I cannot see how Mr Edwards can be criticized for stating in
plain terms what the law is and what the consequences might be if TfL
ignore it. But I reiterate: the Commission is emphatically not saying
that all Routemasters must be withdrawn immediately. There is no legal
basis for such a policy position.
And in 2017?

This speaks of if everyone can't have something, then no-one can.

The really serious point in all
this is that TfL have invested a very substantial amount of capital
expenditure to make travelling for disabled people so much easier. We
applaud that because of the transforming effect it has had and will
continue to have on disabled people's lives. We may have a slight
quibble with TfL about the remaining Routemasters
Well, they aren't "remaining" Routemasters, really, are they? They are
an extra heritage service superimposed on top of an existing accessible
service.

I will formulate a reply and post a copy of it here, and it will be
along the lines of "Miss Patel states that you are not killjoys and do
not require the removal of Routemasters - which is clearly
contradictory to what you are now saying"! Three people all employed
by the D.R.C. saying different things!
I think they haven't really thought about this, don't you? :-)

Seriously, I do feel they've not grasped the "extra" nature of these
services.
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk