London’s Dial-a-Ride Service ‘Not Up To Scratch’

London’s Dial-a-ride service continues to be plagued by significant problems, according to a new report by the London Assembly’s Transport Committee.

According to the report, Transport for London (TfL) has not fully resolved concerns the Committee raised last year concerning around availability, efficiency, the booking process and user consultation.

The report makes several specific recommendations to both the Mayor and TfL to improve the service, which currently has some 50,000 disabled Londoners on its books.

Deputy Chair of the Transport Committee, Caroline Pidgeon AM, said: “It cannot be right that Dial-a-Ride is providing fewer journeys than it did eight years ago but is spending 70% more on the service.

“People rely on Dial-a-Ride and are entitled to expect a consistent and reliable service,” he added. “I urge Transport for London to take the necessary steps to make this a reality.”

The report notes that TfL has introduced a range of measures over the past year to improve Dial-a-Ride’s performance, and that users have noticed an improvement in some aspects of the service.

However, Dial-a-Ride is still providing fewer journeys than it did in 2001/02, despite a large increase in operational expenditure, and remains significantly below target in its performance. Users are also still experiencing long waiting times and often make repeated attempts to get through to book a ride.

The report calls on TfL to conduct an assessment of the potential for more coordination between Dial-a-Ride and local community transport services. The Committee believes this could result in more journeys and a more consistent service for people

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