A BATTLE for improved transport access for disabled and elderly commuters is being waged with the launch of a new campaign group.

It will hold its first meeting on Tuesday as it bids to give residents a voice to in their efforts to improve the borough’s transport system.

The group, which has yet to be given a name, will be supported by the charity Transport for All.

Wheelchair-bound Max Reid, of Quebec Road, Newbury Park, has long campaigned for more accessible buses in the borough.

He said: “I’ve been travelling on London buses in my wheelchair for about 12 years, and I’ve had to write to Transport for London on numerous occasions about the various problems that I and other disabled people face every day.

“By coming together to campaign with a collective voice we will stand a better chance of improvements to buses, door-to-door services and other transport in the area.”

A survey by London Watch earlier this year found only 35 per cent of bus stops in the borough complied with legislation on accessibility to disabled people, compared with a London-wide average of 50 per cent.

Gary Wiggins, 50, Clayhall, is blind and he hopes the new action group will be able to pull its weight.

He said: “If you have a disability, you’re often seen and not heard.

“I hope people will join this group so we can change that.”

The group will meet on Tuesday from 2pm-4pm in Central Library, Clements Road, Ilford