New backless floating bus stop on Lea Bridge Road London is not safe or accessible for blind people

‘The tragedy is that visually impaired people are ending up at the bottom of the pile and are designed out of the environment’ Andrew Hodgson's words about a pavement-less bus stop on the new Lea Bridge Road cycle lane in London. Andrew is blind and a long white cane user who lives in London.

Andrew is seen holding his white cane and a sign which reads ‘This is a bus stop not a cycle lane’. The cycle lane has replaced the pavement at the back of the bus stop, which is separated by a low up stand. There is a bus stop pole with a time table on it. There is a man walking behind Andrew standing on the platform paved area next to the bush shelter for pedestrians and as he goes to cross the cycle lane the man has to stop as a cyclist is riding at speed on the cycle lane behind the bus shelter.

The rest of the film shows cyclists, e-bike and e-scooter riders going the right & wrong way up the cycle lane. A cargo bike goes up the cycle lane as a pedestrian goes to cross the cycle track, the pedestrian has to step back to stop being hit (they both come from behind the bus shelter at the same time). Also pedestrians give way to riders as they have to cross from the pavement to the cycle lane. A bus also pulls up and stops next to the cycle lane so passengers have to get on and off the bus direct from the cycle lane. Andrew and his colleague step back from a vehicle crossing over the continuous pavement before they got to the bus stop. Andrew gets disoriented and walks up the cycle lane, the cyclist passes him on the bus stop.

The loss of amenity at this bus stops makes it totally useless for blind and visually impaired people to use independently. It is not safe or accessible and needs to be replaced with a bus stop that pulls up directly to the pavement so passengers can get on and off the bus directly from the pavement without having to cross or step into a cycle lane first.