By Duncan Mackay

Dame Tanni by undergroundNovember 13 - London 2012 proved that the city's transport system was capable of coping with more disabled passengers, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson claimed today when she appeared before a special committee investigating what lessons the capital could learn from the Olympics and Paralympics.


Baroness Tanni, one of Britain's best ever known Paralympians, told the London Assembly Transport Committee that, for those with a disability, travelling around the city during the Games was a revelation. 

She told the Committee that improvements made for London 2012 - such as wheelchair ramps being put up at 17 stations - would remain in place and that the cooperation that existed between Transport for London (TfL) and Network Rail would continue. 

"I think loads of different organisations spoke in ways they had never done before," Baroness Tanni told the Assembly. 

"It would be a shame if it was a one-off and they [people with a disability] only thought that the transport was that good because it was Games-time.

"Use away from the Games is quite different.

"I would not want to raise people's expectations post-Games and they found themselves not able to get on or off at a station."

Disabled passengers during London 2012Disabled passengers found it easier to travel round London during the Games than they normally did, claimed Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson

But Baroness Tanni, a member of the TfL Board, said she remained optimistic having travelled to City Hall - located by Tower Bridge - having only arrived in London that morning on a flight from Barcelona. 

"That's a massive testament to public transport," she said.

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