Subway today

[dave2]

All UK public transport must be disabled accessible by 2020. Given that trains etc have a 30 years lifespan, the date was chosen to allow time for natural wastage and modification rather than trying to convert the existing fleet.

Buses are just as bad - Glasgow has a low proportion of kneeling buses for the disabled I feel, and seems to have little driver training in the needs of the blind / deaf.

[onyirtodd]

All UK public transport must be disabled accessible by 2020. Given that trains etc have a 30 years lifespan, the date was chosen to allow time for natural wastage and modification rather than trying to convert the existing fleet.

Buses are just as bad - Glasgow has a low proportion of kneeling buses for the disabled I feel, and seems to have little driver training in the needs of the blind / deaf.

The trouble with allowing a long lead time is that people just tend to forget that it's coming.

When the Disability Descrimination Act came out (1995?) companies etc were given till 2004 to get their act together and many blythly sailed on happily think they had 9 years and didn't need to bother just yet.

[dave2]

Yes, but all new trains since, I think 1996 are DDA compliant - announcements, PIS screens, level access (although this equally depends on the station platform height), wheelchair bays on trains.

[onyirtodd]

Yes, but all new trains since, I think 1996 are DDA compliant - announcements, PIS screens, level access (although this equally depends on the station platform height), wheelchair bays on trains.

Can the on train scrolling information screens give emergency messages?


edited to add or even basic housekeeping announcements?

[MotoMad]

Subway was off again today, outer circle suspended.

[tobester]

AD said that too MM,

The last time i used the subway a few weeks ago i was saddened by how dirty, worn out and sad it looked, seeing as it had been a few years since i had last used it.

Going anywhere by public transport i now prefer trains or the bus as First seem to have improved their services (BTW im an ex scotrail employee)

Give it to First and get the slackers who run it the now the boot.

[Ally Doll]

First seem to have improved their services

Other than on the 62 I got home - someone had puked up the back and they continued to run the bus back to the garage rather than taking it off immediately. Yuck.

[lynnski]

'Train approaching' generally means "It's here". I'm a bit surprised that you missed it at Govan though; that's usually where they hang around for five minutes for no obvious reason (although they do swap drivers there too).

Govan is the terminus, they swap drivers, they get the cleaning folk with their grabby hand thingys and binbags on here and the drivers get a minute or two to talk to each other etc etc.

'Train approaching' is usually approx 20-30 seconds before the train arrives. I have timed it. I get bored easily!!

[McShad]

It's not just for driver swaps, cleaning and chinwags.... they have to 'reset' the circles in a way to stop them catching up on each other

[lynnski]

O RLY??

[Josef]

It's not just for driver swaps, cleaning and chinwags.... they have to 'reset' the circles in a way to stop them catching up on each other

And here was me thinking they were concentric, too

[tobester]

First seem to have improved their services

Other than on the 62 I got home - someone had puked up the back and they continued to run the bus back to the garage rather than taking it off immediately. Yuck.

Not used the 62 in ages AD, i usually use the 61 or 18 (altho the 40 at night is a ned express)

[Alasdair]

First seem to have improved their services

Other than on the 62 I got home - someone had puked up the back and they continued to run the bus back to the garage rather than taking it off immediately. Yuck.

I use the 62 a fair bit and would be peeved if all the passengers had to get off just because there was sick on one or two of the seats. Even more so on some of the quieter routes (like 16 and 44) where the buses hardly turn up at all and you have to plan for a half-hour wait at the bus stop.

Minging buses are a problem though- the Glasgow buses are generally filthy compared to Edinburgh ones... and the fares are more expensive... and there are fewer of them... and they're run for profit...

Other than that, bless the buses!

[Dexter St. Clair]

Glaswegians subsidise the First v Lothian bus wars.

[Mori]

Evening Times


Maybe somone has read the comments on this thread and came to this conclusion.

£540,000 for better-lit Subway

ANOTHER £542,000 is to be spent upgrading Glasgow's Subway system.

Work will include improved lighting, better signs, and new customer call points in stations.

There will also be a number of improvements for disabled passengers. These changes, which will cost £400,000, will increase the number of disabled parking spaces, with alterations to walls, stairs and barriers to help the visually impaired.

The work is being carried out to ensure the Subway complies with the Disability Discrimination Act.

The regional transport authority, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, is also spending £85,000 updating the electronic door entry system in stations and a further £57,000 improving maintenance of the network's closed-circuit television system.

The project is part of a modernisation plan of the system, which also includes a £1.7million contract to refurbish Subway trailer cars and a new public announcement system.

David Wallace, SPT's director of Subway operations, said: "Bit by bit we are making improvements to the Subway.

"We can't provide an overnight change, but we have started the modernisation process and, step by step, we will provide passengers with a better service.

"In particular, I hope passengers with disabilities will notice an improvement in their surroundings when this latest work is complete.

"From a security point of view, it is vital we maintain our CCTV system and we are also improving our electronic door entry system."

Last month, SPT also unveiled a £163,000 extension to its stores building at the Subway's Broomloan headquarters, which will allow repairs and maintenance work to be carried out more efficiently.

Earlier this year a plan was also unveiled to turn stations into mini-retail centres, by including shops and even flats at some venues.

A £2.6billion dream' blueprint was also revealed to extend the system into Glasgow's East End

Publication date 13/09/07