By Matt Drake
09:09 Jul 14, 2024, updated 09:36 Jul 14, 2024
Guide dogs avoid Sadiq KhanFloating buses are being shut down because they think they are unsafe, research shows.
Floating bus stops have a cycle lane between the bus shelter and the road, forcing passengers to venture into oncoming cycle traffic to board their bus.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association wanted to see how well blind and partially sighted people fared when they encountered these bus stops, known as shared-use bus boarders (SUBBs).
Professor of Civil Engineering at University College London (UCL) Nick Tyler has been testing floating bus stops in his People-Environment-Activity Research Lab (PEARL).
It is a huge laboratory that recreates life-size main streets with traffic, bus stops and cyclists.
But the guide dogs had a “great time” and “put their paws up” because they refused to approach bus stops, known as bus stop bypasses, the Telegraph reported.
Speaking at a transport seminar earlier this year, Professor Tyler said: “We don’t tend to test guide dogs because they are very particular about where they go.
“So when you ask them, ‘Can you get on this bus stop on a floating island?’ they say, ‘No.’ They don’t go because they’re trained to look for the safest place.
“But visually impaired people are very concerned about these floating bus stops.”
The move comes after many campaigners and charities claimed that such bus stops were petrifying disabled people who struggle to get on and off buses for fear of being hit by cyclists.
Professor Tyler described the floating bus stops as “conflict zones” because pedestrians and cyclists are heading to the same place.
The study commissioned by the Association of Guide Dogs for the Blind will be published in the fall.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “Design changes such as floating bus stops mean people may have difficulty finding their way, moving around independently and feeling safe.
“The design of the built environment can either help or hinder the ability of our guide dogs to interpret and respond to environmental cues and ensure the safety of their visually impaired handler.
“Bus stop bypasses and other such developments make life unnecessarily difficult and dangerous for visually impaired people and must be designed in an inclusive and safe way.”
A spokesperson for Guide Dogs commented: “Guide Dogs commissioned UCL PEARL to conduct research into the impact of design trends that are increasing in the world we live in, such as bus stop kerbs and bypasses.
“Buses are essential in providing independent outing options for many disabled people, including those with visual impairments, to get to work, to appointments and to see friends.
“However, design changes such as floating bus stops mean people may struggle to navigate, move around independently and feel safe.
“The design of the built environment can either help or hinder the ability of our guide dogs to interpret and respond to environmental cues and ensure the safety of their visually impaired handler.
“Guide dogs (like all dogs) respond best to signals that are consistent and predictable. Bus stop bypasses and other such arrangements make life unnecessarily difficult and dangerous for visually impaired people and need to be designed in an inclusive and safe way.
“We plan to launch the findings of this report in the autumn and will work with UCL on recommendations to show what needs to change so that visually impaired people can feel confident travelling by bus in the future.”
Christina Calderato, Transport for London (TfL) Director of Transport Strategy and Policy, said: “Keeping everyone safe across the capital is our top priority, which is why we have conducted an in-depth study of safety around bus stops. Bus stop areas play an important role in providing safe, segregated cycling infrastructure and improving road safety.
“Our recent report found that very few collisions occurred near bus stops, and our analysis also suggests that they did not lead to a reduction in the use of bus stops by elderly or disabled customers.
“We continue to work with disabled people and accessibility groups to reflect on the findings of our study, including looking at design improvements and upgrades where necessary, and measures to increase awareness among cyclists.
“We will continue to work with all Londoners to ensure our transport network works for everyone.”
There are now 164 such bus stops in London and more are being rolled out across the country.
But in June, TfL admitted failing to disclose the extent of the danger posed by floating bus stops during an official inquiry ordered by Sadiq Khan.
She was forced to apologise to disability organisations that opposed the introduction of such bus stops.
Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that a panel of 10 disability experts were unimpressed with the design of the bus stops at a meeting of TfL’s Independent Disability Advisory Group (IDAG) in October 2020.
Although the panel agreed that the designs were an “improvement” on previous designs, the shared-use bus stops were not inclusive for people with disabilities, with one mobility scooter user saying it would be “anxious” to get on or off a bus from a cycle path.
Former Hackney Labour councillor Vincent Stops, who worked for London transport watchdog London TravelWatch and who revealed the IDAG document, said the bus stops had proven problematic for blind passengers.
He said: “But no matter how many times TfL were told that blind people couldn’t use them, no one would listen.”
Floating bus stops are a divisive issue in London, with leaked figures showing that up to 60% of cyclists fail to give way at pedestrian crossings.
Often present on the streets of the Netherlands, they are now more frequent in the capital since the pandemic.
They have already been dubbed “polished droppings” by transport officials, who say they can be dangerous for the elderly and disabled.
In May this year, footage captured the moment a cyclist hit a pensioner while he was using a floating bus stop.
The elderly pedestrian is seen crossing the cycle path to reach the bus stop at a pedestrian crossing when he is caught by the passing cyclist and thrown to the ground.
In the clip shared by blind charity NFBUK, cyclists are even seen swerving onto the pavement where the pedestrian crossing is flush with the cycle lane.
He called for the removal of “chaotic and downright dangerous” junctions, such as the one near St Thomas’ Hospital on Westminster Bridge.
She added that the layout was particularly dangerous for visually impaired people, with the boarding “islands” proving too narrow for users of mobility canes when getting off buses.
He said: “These projects are unsafe and must be stopped urgently.”