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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Local railway stations inaccessible to disabled people
May 1, 2009 12:00 AM
By Peter Black in Seaside News May 2009
By Peter Black in Seaside News May 2009
Recent research by the Multiple Sclerosis Society Cymru has found that only 45% of railway stations across Wales have access for people in wheelchairs or provide access to the train.
Nine of Bridgend's railway stations have inaccessible toilets, three of them lack complete wheelchair access to the train and platforms. All but the station in Bridgend itself are unstaffed, leaving disabled people without anybody to assist them.
Multiple Sclerosis affects approximately 85,000 people in the UK and one third of them will need a wheelchair. Many more rely on other pieces of mobility equipment, such as crutches or a walking frame.
Allowing disabled people the freedom to travel enables them to keep their independence. Many people with a disability are also unable to drive and are more reliant on public transport than other parts of society. There is evidence to suggest that this is putting disabled people off using public transport for fear of being stranded.
The Government and Welsh train operators must bring forward an action plan for how they will deal with this problem to ensure that all parts of our society are able to make full use of public transport facilities, regardless of their mobility.
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