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London TravelWatch Working in partnership with Transport Focus
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Left behind Londoners

Many Londoners are being left behind by a digital-first approach to transport

A bank of ticket machines at a train station

It is now becoming the norm for people to use digital methods to make purchases and gather information – including when they are travelling. But for the many thousands of people who are not online, this can create a barrier, stopping people from being able to get the information they need and from purchasing tickets – whether at home or at stations.

Our research has found that this shift to a digital-first approach by transport providers is having a negative affect on many people.

Key findings

1.5 million Londoners are being left behind by a digital-first approach to transport

1 in 6 people in London say they are unable to buy a ticket as they can’t use or don’t have access to a smartphone or internet connection

1 in 5 Londoners say they have paid more for travel because they are not able to buy tickets online or by using mobile apps

We are calling for transport authorities and operators to ensure that there are options available for those that might not have access to digital channels and methods of payment. We recommend that:

Transport authorities and operators should maintain non-digital options to allow freedom of travel for digitally excluded and disadvantaged Londoners

Train companies and Transport for London should make sure staff are visible and in accessible locations, confident and ready to support people who need it

Train companies should implement a dedicated travel mentoring scheme that supports people who are digitally excluded and disadvantaged

Online discounts should also be available offline – no Londoner who is digitally excluded or disadvantaged should be financially penalised when they travel

When planning changes, transport authorities, operators and policing bodies need to work with specialists in digital inclusion to make sure information is as accessible as possible

Read the report

Read our full report about digital exclusion

Read our report about digital exclusion – plain text version

Read our report about digital exclusion – easy read version

Watch a BSL summary of the report

Launch event – videos

Watch the highlights of our launch event

Watch the full launch event

What next?

Read our open letter to transport industry

Blog post – reflections on the report and recommendations

Digital exclusion and disadvantage

Download the full report
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