TfL announce £15,000,000 scheme for something that will make commuters’ lives better

Toilets will be added or revamped at 11 London Tube stations, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.

The works are part of a £15m five-year scheme which aims to make London’s ‘transport network more accessible, fair and inclusive’.

Under the proposals, new loos could be built in disused ticket offices at Hammersmith and Morden.

New facilities are set to be built at Camden Road, Clapton, New Cross Gate, South Tottenham and White Hart Lane – all on the Overground.

The Tube stations earmarked to have existing loos made fully accessible are Amersham, Sudbury Hill and Green Park.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said toilet provision is ‘critical for many Londoners and visitors, and can even determine whether somebody travels on public transport at all’.

‘I’m pleased that the first round of my funding will enable toilet provision in new stations as well as upgrading current facilities,’ he added.

Mr Khan announced the programme to increase and improve toilet provision on London’s transport network in January.

Once completed, it aims to ensure that Tube, Overground and Elizabeth line customers are always within 20 minutes of a toilet without having to change train.

TfL said that stations are chosen according to a number of factors, including whether the location is a terminus station, operates night services, has step-free access, high passenger footfall, proximity to other toilets on the network, and onward connections.

The works are expected to start at several locations within the next year, TfL said.

Andy Lord, London transport commissioner, said that access to toilets is ‘a vital enabler for some, especially older customers, people with disabilities and those with young children’.

‘Our programme delivery team is now hard at work to turn this plan into improvements for our customers across the network,’ he added.

John McGeachy, campaigns manager at Age UK London, said that 20% of people do not leave home as much as they would like to because of consideration around a lack of public toilets.

‘It’s called the ‘loo leash’,’ he added.

‘Public toilets are not something we talk about too often but the reality is that better provision can transform lives.

‘If the plan is delivered in full it will make London much more welcoming for people of all ages.’