By LAURA WAKELY
CARER Sylvia Curmi has slammed a 10 year delay for a Ginifer Station upgrade as unacceptable.
As previously reported by Star, the St Albans carer has been campaigning for an upgrade at the station, which she said had a large gap between platform two and the train that posed a major hazard for people with disabilities and carers (Rail risk, Star, 15 February 2011).
Ms Curmi said the differing height between the platform and train was also a problem for people, with one client “too frightened” to get off the train.
While she said some train drivers assist disabled passengers on and off trains with a ramp, she claimed other drivers offer no assistance and that the ramps can be unsteady.
The Department of Transport has an action plan promising all stations will be upgraded to become more accessible for people with disabilities by 2022.
“Well 2022 is another 10 years away,” Ms Curmi said
“We just hope that nothing (bad) will happen between now and then.”
Derrimut MP Telmo Languiller called on the Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder to fix the station platform before a serious injury or fatality occurs.
He said a Labor government would have seen Ginifer upgraded to a premium status, but that the Coalition had placed the project under review.
“Some of these people are in wheelchairs and there are many others – I will not name them – who have other disabilities, including communicative disabilities,” Mr Languiller said.
“We need to be able to provide them with safe access to public transport and the ability to move around as most of us can do.”
Mr Mulder admitted different types of rolling stock and loading patterns of trains have created issues at several stations, but that the ramp access “appears to work well”.
He said the Government’s priority was for the election commitment for protective service officers (PSOs).
Ms Curmi said she had been told there was not enough funding for a station upgrade and said she was “unsure” whether she would support a tax increase to help fund accessibility infrastructure.
But she said small measures, such as raising the platform where the first carriage pulls into the station could make platforms safer for everyone.
“We will keep on fighting because it does, it really does need something done.”
