Request ID: FOI-1804-2122 Date published: 30 November 2021
You asked
How many wheelchair bound or disabled musicians you have given permission to work on the tube since licensing started?
We answered
TfL Ref: 1804- 2122
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 4 November 2021 asking for information about how many wheelchair bound or disabled musicians have been given permission to work on the tube since licensing started.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require.
The busking scheme on London Underground began in 2003. It was run by an outside company until 2008, and then brought in house.
The data that we hold is from 2017 onwards, and we can confirm buskers who have chosen to declare a disability to the TfL scheme management total 17 (over 6%) of the total of 274 buskers currently on our scheme.
Between 2017 – the present, 16 of the 17 buskers have at some point requested (and been given) regular support from scheme management through our assisted pitch booking allocation. These bookings are reserved for the busker and are specifically tailored to the busker’s needs.
We may have buskers on the scheme not mentioned above who have disabilities, but have not requested assisted bookings.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
