Guide dogs avoid Sadiq Khan’s ‘floating’ bus stops because ‘they fear they’re dangerous’

Guide dogs avoid Sadiq Khan‘s floating bus stop because they think they are unsafe, according to research.

Floating bus stops have a cycle lane between the bus shelter and the road, forcing passengers to venture through oncoming bike traffic to board their bus.

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association wanted to see how well blind and partially sighted people cope when they encounter these bus stops, known as shared-use bus boarders’ (SUBBs).

Professor of Civil Engineering at University College London (UCL) Nick Tyler carried out tests on floating bus stops at his Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory (PEARL).

This is a huge lab that recreates life-sized high streets with traffic, bus stops and cyclists.

In the clip shared by blind charity NFBUK, cyclists are even seen swerving onto the pavement where the crossing is flush with the cycle lane 

But the guide dogs had a ‘lovely time’ and ‘put their paws up’ because they refused to go near the bus stops, known as bus stop bypasses, The Telegraph reported.

Speaking at a transport seminar held earlier this year, Professor Tyler said: ‘We don’t tend to test guide dogs because guide dogs are very particular about where they go.

‘So, when we say to them, ‘Can you go on this floating island bus stop?’, they say ‘No.’ They don’t go because they are trained to look for the safest place.

‘But the visually impaired are very concerned about these floating bus stops.’

It comes after numerous campaigners and charities claim such bus stops petrify people with disabilities who struggle to board and exit busses out of fear that they will be hit by cyclists.

Cycle Lane on York Way, North London which runs between where the 390 Bus stops in the road and where the Pavement where people wait for the bus stand 

Professor Tyler described floating bus stops as ‘conflict zones’ because pedestrians and cyclists head for the same place.

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association commissioned research will be published in Autumn.

A spokesman for the charity said: ‘Design changes like floating bus stops mean people may struggle with orientation, independent mobility and feeling safe.

‘The design of the built environment can either help or hinder our guide dogs to interpret and respond to environmental cues and keep their vision impaired handler safe.

‘Bus stop bypasses and other designs of this nature make life unnecessarily difficult and hazardous for people with sight loss and must be designed in a way that is inclusive and safe.’

A Guide Dogs spokesperson, commented: ‘Guide Dogs has commissioned UCL PEARL to conduct research into the impact of design trends that are on the increase within the world we live in, such as bus stop boarders and bypasses. 

‘Buses are key to opening opportunities to get out independently for many disabled people, including people with a vision impairment; to go out to work, get to appointments, and to see friends. 

‘However, design changes like floating bus stops mean people may struggle with orientation, independent mobility and feeling safe.

‘The design of the built environment can either help or hinder our guide dogs to interpret and respond to environmental cues and keep their vision impaired handler safe. 

‘Guide dogs (like all dogs) respond best to cues that are consistent and predictable. Bus stop bypasses and other designs of this nature make life unnecessarily difficult and hazardous for people with sight loss and must be designed in a way that is inclusive and safe.

‘We plan to launch the results of this report in the autumn and will be working with UCL on recommendations to show what needs to change so people with sight loss can feel confident to travel on buses in the future.’

Christina Calderato, Director of Transport Strategy and Policy at Transport for London (TfL) said: ‘Keeping everyone travelling in the capital safe is our top priority, which is why we have carried out an extensive review of safety at bus stop bypasses. Bus stop bypasses are an important part of delivering safe, segregated cycling infrastructure, and improving road safety. 

‘Our recent report found that very few collisions have occurred at bus stop bypasses, and our analysis also suggests that they have not led to a reduction in bus stop use by older or disabled customers.

‘We continue to work with disabled people and accessibility groups to reflect on the findings of our review, 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 that our transport network works for everyone.’

Shared use bus boarders (SUBBs) have become more common in London since mayor Sadiq Khan rolled 62 miles of cycle lanes in just 12 months during the pandemic

Diagram of a shared use bus stop boarder, which has a cycle lane between the road and the bus shelter, meaning passengers need to cross the traffic to board and exit the bus

There are now 164 such bus stops in London with others being rolled out across the country.

But in June, TfL admitted it failed to disclose the full danger posed by floating bus stops in an official review ordered by Sadiq Khan.

It was forced to apologise to disability charities which were opposed to the roll-out of such bus stops.

Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal a panel of 10 disability experts were unimpressed by the bus stop designs during a meeting of TfL’s Independent Disability Advisory Group (IDAG) in October 2020.

While the panel agreed the designs were an ‘improvement’ on previous designs, shared-use bus stops were not inclusive to people with disabilities, with one mobility scooter user stating he would be ‘anxious’ to board or exit a bus from a cycle lane.

Former Labour Hackney councillor Vincent Stops, who worked for London TravelWatch, a London transport watchdog, and revealed the IDAG document, said such bus stops had proved problematic for blind passengers.

He said: ‘But however many times TfL was told blind people couldn’t use them, no one would listen.’

Floating bus stops have been a topic of contention in London, with leaked figures showing that as many as 60 per cent of cyclists do not give way at zebra crossings.

Bus stops that have been designed to board and exit passengers directly onto a cycle lane are like ‘polished turds’, transport officials have told the Mayor of London

A common feature on streets in the Netherlands, they have now become more prevalent in the capital since the pandemic.

They have been previously dubbed ‘polished turds’ by transport officials, who say they can feel dangerous for older and disabled people.

In May this year, footage captured the moment a cyclised crashed into a pensioner while using a floating bus stop.

The elderly pedestrian is seen walking across the bike lane to reach the bus stop at a zebra crossing when they are caught by the passing cyclist and hurled to the floor.

In the clip shared by blind charity NFBUK, cyclists are even seen swerving onto the pavement where the crossing is flush with the cycle lane.

It called for the ‘chaotic and downright dangerous’ junctions, such as the one near St Thomas’s hospital on Westminster bridge, to be scrapped.

It added that the configuration put visually impaired people at particular risk, with the boarding ‘islands’ shown to be too narrow for users of mobility canes when stepping off buses.

It said: ‘These designs are not safe and they need to be urgently halted.’