It’s time to get rid of smart motorways

I WAS very sorry to read Barbara Fisher’s column news about Mr F becoming ill whilst on a car journey along a motorway. It must have been very difficult to negotiate traffic, but lucky it wasn’t on a smartmotorway.

I disagree with smart motorways too and think with petrol being the price it is it would be a sensible time to get rid of them for good.

Transport is difficult for people with a different type of wheels too.

One programme readers might like to watch on BBC iPlayer is ‘Then Barbara met Alan,’ a story about disabled protestors and the Direct Action Network. They handcuffed themselves to tubes and buses to get more accessible transport. It also created a groundswell of public opinion to ensure the Disability Discrimination Act was passed in 1996.

I went along as a legal observer to Hillingdon tube station in the late 1990s to help write down what happened when protesters were complaining about accessibility at Hillingdon tube station and the need for full access across the tube network within 15 years.

The tube driver stopped at the station, and my role, having quickly donned a yellow high vis tunic with ‘legal observer’ written on it, was to tell the tube driver not to move off as disabled people had handcuffed themselves to the train. I advised him to contact his union if he wasn’t sure what to do.

There followed a stand-off until London Underground sent a fax through to the protestors arranging a date for a meeting.

Disabled people had been asking for a meeting many times to no avail. The fire brigadeturned up along with the police and no arrests were made.

We wouldn’t have had a Disability Discrimination Act passed without direct actions catching the public attention.

But now still only 90 tube stations have step free access out of over 270 stations. So only 2/3rds to go. Where is the plan to get them made step free? Please send Mr F my regards and I hope his pacemaker provides him with reassurance.

Debbi King Co-disability officer, Uxbridge and South Ruislip Constituency Labour Party