6 days ago
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Lord Blunkett has called for an urgent reappraisal into what helium described arsenic "death trap" Tube platforms aft helium was injured falling into a spread arsenic helium boarded a bid astatine Westminster station.
It happened arsenic the Labour Peer, who is blind, slipped portion getting connected to a District Line bid with his usher dog, past month. He wants Transport for London (TfL) to bash much to guarantee visually impaired radical are kept safe.
"I didn't afloat cognize what had happened. I felt tremendous symptom successful some my legs; they were bruised and grazed," the 77-year-old erstwhile location caput and wellness caput wrote successful the Sun connected Sunday.
London Underground said it was "extremely sorry" that Lord Blunkett was injured and volition beryllium gathering with him to guarantee that lessons are learned from the incident.
Lord Blunkett, who served arsenic the MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough betwixt 1987 and 2015, said: "As I took a measurement to get connected to the Tube bid I abruptly felt some my feet disappearing down the gap.
"In an instant my assemblage had been propelled guardant into the carriage and I was look down connected the floor,"
"My legs had someway been scraped retired of the spread and into the carriage."
The autumn comes aft Lord Blunkett had a caller bosom onslaught which means helium indispensable instrumentality humor thinners - making immoderate bruising oregon bleeding much dangerous.
He explained that an X-ray confirmed "extraordinary bruising", but nary breached leg, and helium was "angry" astir what had happened.
Lord Blunkett said: "Whenever you measurement into a Tube presumption successful London you perceive the tannoy pass radical to 'mind the gap'. But excessively often determination are nary unit members to really assistance you if, similar me, you cannot see."
He is calling for TfL to capable the widest gaps connected platforms and marque definite determination is ever idiosyncratic determination to help, particularly during unreserved hour.
He added "some of our platforms are decease traps. The spread betwixt the walkway and bid is immense and they are unsafe for everyone, but peculiarly for unsighted people."
Lord Blunkett is expected to petition TfL motorboat an urgent reappraisal into the information of the busiest conduit stations.
Nick Dent, London Underground's manager of lawsuit operations, said: "We were highly atrocious that Lord Blunkett was injured connected our network.
"We person written to, and volition beryllium gathering with, him to sermon however we could person managed the incidental amended and to guarantee that lessons are learned.
"The information of our customers and unit is astatine the forefront of everything we do, and portion injuries similar the 1 experienced by Lord Blunkett are rare, we are undertaking a immense scope of enactment aimed astatine eradicating specified incidents and making travelling adjacent safer for everyone."
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