4
Almost perfect
Blackpool Trams are a convenient and quick way to go up and down the Fylde coast. There is only one line, so the only thing you have to keep track of is the direction you are going in, which is quite consistent for the stops along the Promenade – going north on the side of the sea, going south on the side of the road.
I have generally found that accessibility was more than an afterthought, with tactile markings and lowered curbs at tram track crossings being near universal. As soon as you go beyond the platform, though, it can quickly become more frustrating when there is no decent way to actually cross the road to get to it.
Each platform has two wheelchair symbols on the ground that line up with the wider doors on the trams. The doors of the trams are approximately at the same level as the platforms, so there are no ramps needed. I always managed to get onto the tram in my powerchair, but I did find that it was a little bit higher than the platform and I struggled when it was raining and everything was slippery. There is a pole in the middle of the area between the doors, so you need to navigate around that. There are handrails running along both sides of the tram with some loops attached to them. There are signs showing the different stops along the route above the doors.
Level 2 category scooters are allowed on the tram, but level 3 scooters are not.
Once you are on the tram, you can either stay in the door area, facing one of the doors, or go around the corner into a space reserved for wheelchair users. There are stop and assist buttons there as well as fold-out seats.
There are no ticket machines, which means that there will always be a member of staff to assist you, usually even two per tram plus the driver. You can also buy your ticket in the app, which I did not try, but would be a way to avoid a conversation with the conductor. (They will still ask to see your ticket, though.) Passengers with a concession card from the local councils go free, but concession cards from further away are not accepted. You can buy day and group tickets as well as singles. The conductors take contactless payments and print your ticket. On a very rainy day I was worried that my ticket would disintegrate before too long, so they gave me a special waterproof envelope to protect it. It barely made it to the end of the day, but it was up against an amber storm warning, so I am still impressed.
Blackpool Trams are a convenient and quick way to go up and down the Fylde coast. There is only one line, so the only thing you have to keep track of is the direction you are going in, which is quite consistent for the stops along the Promenade – going north on the side of the sea, going south on the side of the road.
I have generally found that accessibility was more than an afterthought, with tactile markings and lowered curbs at tram track crossings being near universal. As soon as you go beyond the platform, though, it can quickly become more frustrating when there is no decent way to actually cross the road to get to it.
Each platform has two wheelchair symbols on the ground that line up with the wider doors on the trams. The doors of the trams are approximately at the same level as the platforms, so there are no ramps needed. I always managed to get onto the tram in my powerchair, but I did find that it was a little bit higher than the platform and I struggled when it was raining and everything was slippery. There is a pole in the middle of the area between the doors, so you need to navigate around that. There are handrails running along both sides of the tram with some loops attached to them. There are signs showing the different stops along the route above the doors.
Level 2 category scooters are allowed on the tram, but level 3 scooters are not.
Once you are on the tram, you can either stay in the door area, facing one of the doors, or go around the corner into a space reserved for wheelchair users. There are stop and assist buttons there as well as fold-out seats.
There are no ticket machines, which means that there will always be a member of staff to assist you, usually even two per tram plus the driver. You can also buy your ticket in the app, which I did not try, but would be a way to avoid a conversation with the conductor. (They will still ask to see your ticket, though.) Passengers with a concession card from the local councils go free, but concession cards from further away are not accepted. You can buy day and group tickets as well as singles. The conductors take contactless payments and print your ticket. On a very rainy day I was worried that my ticket would disintegrate before too long, so they gave me a special waterproof envelope to protect it. It barely made it to the end of the day, but it was up against an amber storm warning, so I am still impressed.
