Disability access fail

MANY people living with a disability are unable to catch the V/Line train services they need on the Geelong line, Public Transport Users Association Geelong branch convener Paul Westcott says.

While most trains on Geelong’s line are VLocity – modern trains with accessibility embedded in the design – some are older models. These are also used on the Melbourne-Warrnambool route and Mr Westcott said they were not disability friendly.

“Some of them have been made accessible, but the main problem is making the doors bigger,” he said.

“There should be at least one carriage (in each train on the line) with a larger door. What people have told us is that they can’t be sure if there is one.”

This had a harsh impact on the emotional wellbeing of travellers, he said.

“There’s a real uncertainty and nervousness of, ‘Will the train be accessible?’ ” Mr Westcott said.

“Some people have found they’ve been put in the luggage and conductor area, because only that door ... allows wheelchairs. That’s led to embarrassment and annoyance, even a feeling of humiliation.”

Mr Westcott said, in some instances,

V-Line staff would give a taxi fare to a person with disability trying to catch a train.

“Able-bodied people can with confidence turn up and catch whatever train they want,” he said.

“Disabled people can’t necessarily do that. Taxis are not what they wanted, and not what should happen.

“It means people could be more reluctant to travel. It limits their choices ... it might even make them housebound if they feel they can’t go anywhere.”

Opposition public transport spokeswoman Steph Ryan said the neglect of V/Line had reached “shameful lows”, and was causing some Victorians with disabilities to put lives on hold because of the inability to use the services.

“We’ve heard too many stories of people being forced to travel in the cargo carriage or prevented from travelling on V/Line altogether because accessible carriages were unexpectedly dropped from a service,” Ms Ryan said.

“It’s humiliating, it’s denigrating, and it should not be accepted by the Andrews government.”

A Transport Department spokeswoman said $157.8m was allocated in this year’s budget “for accessibility and amenity upgrades”, including V/Line services.