Bikes on the DLR

A little while back, I contacted DLR about this. Here is our email exchange.

Hello

I received the leaflet ‘A guide to using Docklands Light Railway’. I would like to know why full-size, unfolded bicycles are not allowed on the DLR. I have three questions:

    1.     What, exactly, are the ‘safety reasons’ that are referred to
    in the leaflet and which are the grounds on which bicycles are not
    allowed?
    2.     How, exactly, is a bicycle, which when it is not being ridden
    is basically a large piece of luggage, different from a pram, heavy
    shopping, or a mobility scooter, which is pictured on the leaflet?
    3.     How, exactly, does the DLR differ – other than in management
    structure – from those elements of the TFL network on which bicycles
    are allowed outside of peak hours (i.e. the Metropolitan, Circle,
    Hammersmith and City, District lines, sections of the Piccadilly,
    Central, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Northern lines, and the Overground)?

It seems to me that unless there are very good reasons otherwise, the DLR should be in line with the rest of TFL, and that bicycles should be allowed outside of peak hours.

I look forward to your response.

Best wishes

Bicycles cannot be carried on the railway for safety reasons. If in an emergency, such as fire, and a train needs to be evacuated quickly, a bicycle would become an obstruction that may obstruct an escape route, and hence endanger life. Such an emergency could occur anywhere where escape routes are limited, not just underground or sub surface; for example on a viaduct. It is also impossible to predict the likeliness of a train being empty or crowded during the whole course of its journey; that it is lightly loaded at one station does not guarantee it is lightly loaded during the entire course of its journey. Therefore, for safety's sake, bicycles cannot be carried anywhere at anytime on DLR trains, unless they can be folded and carried in a case. With this in mind, pictorial signs with "No Bicycles" legends are posted on all of our ticket machines.

Thank you for your prompt response.

You have not answered my question about the difference between a regular bicycle and any other item of bulky luggage, a pram or a mobility scooter, all of which are permitted on the DLR but all of which could become an obstruction in an emergency and so endanger life. What is the difference?

Nor have you answered my question about the difference between the DLR and the other sections of the TFL network that permit bicycles outside of peak hours. As with the DLR, it is not possible to predict the number of passengers who will board an Underground or Overground train and in every case there are areas where escape routes could be limited in an emergency, yet bicycles are permitted outside of peak hours. Again, what is the difference?

I'd be grateful if you could answer these questions for me.

Thank you also for forwarding the conditions of carriage. I was interested to read these. The sections you highlighted state:

4.5. For safety reasons on Docklands Light Railway trains and stations you must not:
• use bicycles, roller skates, roller blades, scooters, skateboards or similar equipment

12.1.1. For safety reasons, and for the comfort of other passengers, we have to control what you can bring with you onto our trains and property, although we do not charge you for the things we allow. If you have luggage or a folding buggy/pushchair, or a shopping trolley or folding cycle you must not put it on the seats or allow it to block gangways, stairs, lifts or passages.

12.1.2. You may bring with you:
• personal luggage that you are able to carry yourself (including up/down fixed stairways) • folding buggies and pushchairs and folding cycles that you are able to carry yourself (including up/down fixed stairways) • any other item, provided it is not dangerous or likely to injure anyone

12.1.3. You must not bring with you anything:
• that is more than 2 metres long
• that you are unable to carry yourself (including up/down fixed stairways) • that is a hazardous or inflammable substance • that is likely to cause injury or offence to other customers or to our staff • that is likely to cause damage to buses, DLR trains or stations.

12.1.4. Bicycles are not permitted on DLR trains or stations (except folding bicycles when folded – see clause 12.1.2 above)

Standard bicycles are less than 2m long and are not made of hazardous or inflammable substances. They are no more or less likely to cause injury or offence to other customers or DLR staff or damage to DLR trains or stations than bulky luggage, a pram or a mobility scooter. Therefore, if someone had a regular bicycle that he were able to carry himself (including up/down fixed stairways), and he was able to position it in the train not on the seats and in a way that did not block gangways, stairs, lifts or passages, and he did not intend to use (i.e. ride) it on the train, why would he not be allowed to take it on the DLR?

It appears to me that there is no reason why bicycles should be singled out from any other item of luggage, prams or mobility scooters, all of which pose a similar risk of obstruction in an emergency. Please can you explain why it has been deemed necessary to ban standard bicycles when these other items are permitted?

I look forward to your response.

I forwarded your second email to our safety department for further information, please see below.

The key difference is the size (a bike can be in excess of 6 foot long from wheel to wheel and can be 2 foot wide across the handle bars and 4 foot
high) and as such can not easily fit within the vestibule area of a DLR train without blocking the gangway or an exit. Pushchairs/prams are smaller and can be placed in the area besides the door allowing people to walk around them. Larger wheelchairs and mobility scooters are asked to use the designated wheelchair area on the DLR carriages which is away from the doors and clear of the gangway. This are is not big enough for bikes.

It is true that other areas of TFL do allow bikes on their trains. This is done on a risk assessment basis and there are a couple of key factors which differentiate the DLR from LU in this matter. Firstly, LU stations are staffed where DLR stations are not, this means that there will be staff available to give advice, enforce peak time restrictions and assist with an evacuation of a train at a station. Secondly LU trains have inter-car doors, this provides an additional means of exit from a train of the gangway is blocked. These are only an example of the issues that have been considered in the risk assessment process which has determined that bicycles should not be carried on the DLR.

Due to the low numbers of staff on the DLR it would not be able to enforce any deviations from this requirement and as such we could not guarantee the bikes were not blocking gangways or exits and potentially causing a safety risk, therefore a blanket ban has been imposed across the network.