JustBeingCP

This morning I travelled to the capital and visited the Shaftesbury Theatre where I saw Mrs Doubtfire the musical.

When I arrived at Paddington there was no member of there assistance team awaiting my arrival to help me off the service,

This isn’t the first time that I’ve experienced this as a wheelchair user at this particular station, which shouldn’t still be happening in 2024.

As you, my readers and followers will know I shared a message to the Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh MP in a post yeasterday.

This message still stands today and is this, you as the person who is in charge of transport across the nation should be listening to all individuals from every walk of life regardless of their profile.

Your department is failing in its duty on this because you are refusing to meet with me and discuss the issue of assisted travel on the rail network which is shambolic at present.

This is totally unacceptable and you are failing to deliver on your manifesto promise of “ putting passengers first”

The government namely the Department for Transport are not putting the disabled community first when it comes to transport and this has to change today.

My experience earlier proves that the passenger assistance provision across the nation is not fit purpose and as you all know I’m trying to do something in a bid to improve it.

All I’m asking is that Louise Haigh MP and her Minister for Rail, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE meet with me for 30 minutes in the near future to discuss these issues in further detail.

If you missed my video on X which is formerly Twitter that I posted this morning it can be viewed again below.

A massive thank you must go to the senior conductor on the 10:03 Great Western Railway service from Newport South Wales to London Paddington who ensured that I left the train safely.

The passenger assistance team at the station need to do better as people like me rely on the service that they provide to stay independent.

If you are a frequent rail passenger and require assisted travel please remember that there are a number of ways that this can be booked:

By Phone: 0800 024 8998 or by using Next Generation Text – 18001 0800 024 8998

Online: https://booking.passengerassistance.com.

Using the App: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/passenger-assistance/id1542190496.

Did you enjoy reading my second post in 24 hours about the state of assisted travel on the railway?, if the answer is yes then why not subscribe and receive my posts direct to your inbox with minutes of publication.

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, my loyal readers and followers who continually read my posts without fail each week once they have been published.

It doesn’t go unnoticed and is of course very much appreciated.

Cam