By Christine de Kock
EXPERTSsay Footscray Railway Station is in such a poor state it’s a law suit waiting to happen.
Maribyrnong City Council commissioned Access Audits Australia to perform a preliminary audit earlier this year, with a view to upgrading the station, which is earmarked as a Transit City project.
The auditors focused on access for older people, the disabled and people using mobility aids.
The auditors visited the site and read documents given to them by the council.
Their overview found that people using mobility aids, such as manually operated wheelchairs, walking frames, wheeled walkers, crutches, or even a person pushing a pram, would find it difficult to get around “due to steep ramp gradients and lack of landings to provide rest points”.
A lack of “appropriate handrail support would also create additional stress for many older persons, or those experiencing stamina limitations,” Jim Connor, director of Access Audits Australia stated in a letter to the council.
Mr Connor also stated there were a number of problems with other areas of the station.
These included the height variation between the platform and the interior floor level of some train carriages.
He pointed out that this would pose a serious problem for people with visual impairment.
“The pedestrian bridge-ramp connections and the immediate station environs would appear to potentially expose all responsible parties at risk of an action under the Disability Discrimination Act,” he wrote.
“It would appear that many infrastructure elements would not comply with the requirements of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002.”
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The auditors have conducted similar work for a number of municipalities in Victoria and for organisations such as VicRoads and Swantson Trams.
Mayor Janet Rice said the council would use this information to lobby the State Government to upgrade Footscray Station.
“Footscray Station has not had a major upgrade for over 100 years,” she said.
“It’s ridiculous to think that a station designed in the early 1900s can deal with the transport needs of 2006.”
Cr Rice expressed anger that the council had requested funding for the upgrade of the station on a number of occasions but was ignored.
“A new pedestrian bridge alone has been estimated to cost $17 million,” she said.
“We wrote to the Premier in April asking for $10 million to build a new bridge but have yet to receive an answer.”
This is despite the State Government’s allocation of $167.5 million to a number of Transit Cities over the next 10 years, funding which Footscray missed out on securing.
Resident John Donaldson walks with the aid of a walking stick due to a disability affecting his knees.
Mr Donaldson said the uneven paving of the ramp and the lack of rest spots made it “very difficult” to use transport at Footscray Station.
He called on the government to address the access problems at the station.
