By ALESHA CAPONE
THE lifts at Laverton Railway Station have broken down more than 80 times over a period of just seven months, leaving disabled and elderly train travellers stranded.
The statistics were revealed in parliament last month after Greens Western Region MP Colleen Hartland questioned Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder.
The figures showed the Laverton Railway Station lifts stopped working 81 times between August 2011 and February this year.
This equates to an average of one breakdown every three days.
The station, which was recently given a $93 million makeover, has stairs but no ramps.
Since the upgrade, there have been several media reports of wheelchair-bound passengers and senior citizens being unable to reach the station’s platforms, due to the lifts breakdowns.
Ms Hartland said the State Government needed to fix the situation and stop blaming the previous Labor government for the problem.
Ms Hartland also said she was appalled by the amount of times the lifts have failed.
“I was really shocked, the whole issue is that this is an upgraded station but there appears to be no thought into how disabled people, elderly people or parents with prams would access the station if the lifts weren’t working,” she said.
Ms Hartland said the lifts at Footscray Train Station also broke down 10 times between August 2011 and this February.
Ms Hartland’s questioning also revealed more than 160 Altona loop trains did not arrive on time at Newport and Laverton stations during the same timeframe.
Another 150 Altona loop trains, which were timetabled to stop at Laverton and Newport, skipped these stations.
Ms Hartland said train operator Metro was skipping the two stations due to time pressures but disadvantaging commuters in the process.
“At the community meetings we have had with Metro, they don’t seem to be taking any responsibility for delivering a shoddy service,” she said.
“Local residents and commuters aren’t going to cop it, they want something better.”
The State Government and Metro failed to respond to Star by deadline.
