Despite its recent $10,000 accessibility upgrade, Point Clare station won’t be completely user friendly until it is manned full-time, according to disability carer Trish Trumm.
The problem, Trumm says, is that disabled people still experience difficulties actually accessing the trains from the platform without the help of a guard.
The issue was highlighted one recent Friday, when Trumm was planning a train trip with client Sita Maharaj.
“At Point Clare station there is a 10-inch step up from the platform onto the train and disabled people simply can’t manage on their own,” she said.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, advised that there are boarding ramps located within blue cabinets in close proximity to the boarding assistance zones on both platforms.
But these are only available to the train guard, who is responsible for helping people on and off the train as required.
“We were there at around 11am on a Friday and there was no guard to be found,” Trumm said.
“I had to help get Sita and two suitcases onto the train and knew it would not be possible without a ramp.
“I called Gosford Station and said we were at Point Clare Station and required a ramp, to be told that Point Clare was a ‘non-disability station’ and we would have to go to Gosford or Woy Woy station to have access to a ramp.
“As a support worker it is my number one priority to keep clients safe.
“I feel spending $10,000,000 on lifts but then have people who have disabilities unable to get onto the train is a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Trumm said she and Sita went to the back of the train when it arrived, hoping there would be a ramp onboard which could be used with the help of the train guard, but found trains are not equipped with on-board ramps.
They were eventually able to board with great difficulty and help from the guard.
“Sita has had a stroke and uses a walking stick,” Trumm said.
“She needs a ramp to get onto the train and is very concerned about the non-availability of guards at this station.
“If I had not been with her on Friday she said she would not have managed to travel.”
Trumm said she had experienced the same difficulty with other clients and often had to rely on the kindness of other passengers to help them to board.
“They have spent so much money on the station but it is still of no use to disabled people if it is not manned,” she said.
“How can they get on the train?
“You can’t always rely on the general public for help and nor should you have to.”
Trumm said if guards could not man stations at all times, ramps should at least be provided on every train.
“There should be no such thing as a non-disability station,” she said.
Terry Collins
This article confuses train guards and station staff. There is a guard on every single train whose job it is to help customers who need boarding assistance when station staff are not present. I believe the public should be educated better on what services can be provided by different employees otherwise misinformation can be harmful.