Shocking video shows disabled commuters forced to struggle up stairs
A shocking video of a man with no legs struggling to climb up stairs at a train station near Wollongong has called the state government's approach to transport upgrades into question.
One of two videos released, the vision shows a double amputee lifting himself up each step of the stairs at Unanderra train station, his face pained while clasping the handrail, the Illawarra Mercury reports. Nearby, a stroke victim can be seen holding the handrail tightly on the other side.
The second video released shows a man in a wheelchair descending down the staircase backwards while clutching the handrail to get on a train.
On seeing the video, Transport minister Gladys Berejiklian said she "wants to see every station on the network accessible with ramps or lifts".
"It’s distressing to see anyone in the community struggle to access public transport – whether they’re elderly, customers with a disability or families with prams,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Despite the number of people visibly struggling to access the train platform via the station stairs, the minister told the Illawarra Mercury the government takes an ‘evidence-based approach’ to determine the location of transport upgrades that are next in line.
