The Hon. Peter Batchelor
Minister for Transport
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Peter,
Following Chris Jones' death on the Railway pedestrian crossing at
Nunawading many people are expressing their concerns with condition of
these crossings, the many near accidents that are occurring and the
dread people feel at being stuck on the Railway tracks.
As the representative of Disability Rights Victoria on your Public
Transport Advisory Council I am formally asking you to direct your
Director of Public Transport, Mr John Taylor
mailto:[log in to unmask]
to immediately undertake Access Audits on all Railway Pedestrian
Crossing throughout Victoria and also to organise a Public Forum to
enable people to express their concerns and discuss solutions.
Below are two articles from people expressing their concerns.
I look forward to your reply.
Frank Hall-Bentick
Chairperson
Disability Rights Victoria.
REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY by Mel Smith
Everyday when I cross the railway crossing at Mooroolbark I hold
my breath and my faith. My eyes are fixed on getting to the other side.
I have taught myself to go slow to avoid the bumpy ride. But my
wheelchair still jerks violently and my hand comes off the joystick
without warning. My wheelchair swerves to the left or right making my
body go off balance, before I can grab the joystick again. I feel relief
to see a person walking behind me. I’m safe now and sigh when I finally
reach the other side.
I enjoy train travel. I work in Box Hill three days a week. I
get the chance to chat with people I know. Often with people I don’t
know,
but who happen to catch the same train as me, conversations start to
stir
with friendly gestures. I like train travel because it’s accessible and
reasonably safe. The driver assists me with the ramp and helps me on.
Most of the drivers are friendly and know what they have to do, is part
of their job and you get the feeling they are happy to do it. If you are
a regular train traveller, like me, the drivers get to know where you
want
to get off. One driver said to me once, “you know, it’s a pleasure to
help
you. Have a nice day.” I had goose bumps and wanted to burst into tears.
That was so nice.
There is the odd occasion, when I know the driver’s having a bad
day. He slams down the ramp and doesn’t bother to secure it in place
before I wheel on. I can tell by his glare that he’s not exactly pleased
to see me.
Last Thursday started out to be a normal day. I catch the train
to Box
Hill, a slightly earlier train because I have a few things to do before
work. I meet my dad on the train and we plan to have coffee at Box Hill
Central.
When the train pulls into Nunawading Station, I know something
is wrong. I
see flashing lights and people gathering around. We hear there has been
an
accident and the train would not be departing until further
announcement.
People are annoyed and dive for mobile phones to relay messages to
friends
and colleagues, to say they will be late. I can see emergency services
vehicles all over the place. I know it must be a serious accident. I
wait
inside the train. Minutes pass slowly. I send an SMS message to my work
to
let them know I could be late.
There is another announcement. Trains will not be running for at
least two
hours. Buses are operating instead. Some buses are wheelchair friendly,
but
I know it may be awhile before I see one. I decide to wait on the
platform.
Maybe it is a mistake? I can begin to piece together what is happening.
A
man who uses a powered wheelchair has just been killed. I have a sick
feeling welling up inside me, that I know who the man is. A news
reporter
wants to talk to me, but I don’t want to say who I think it is. I make a
general comment about the difficulty it takes to drive a wheelchair over
a
railway crossing - it is a risk I take almost every day. The news
reporter
tells me to take care. But I want to tell her. It is not about taking
care,
it is more than that. It is about being listened to by the community. It
is
about pushing for better and safer access for wheelchair travellers. It
is
about making the Government understand, that no human being deserves to
be
trapped inside a disabled body, unable to scream or move as well as be
trapped in a public place out in the community.
I see the train driver and wonder what’s going through his mind.
I sense
the pain and shock. I feel the urge to pray for him. Then I see the
policeman carrying a bag and wheelchair pieces. I know now. The man is
Chris
Jones. My assumption is now confirmed. The man I often saw on my train.
We
always exchanged greetings. We shared common ground. Cerebral Palsy,
speech
difficulty is part of the similarity - but also our willingness to
speak
out what we believe in. Safety community access will continue to be a
major
concern.
People on the platform want to talk to me. I appreciate their concern,
but
my mind becomes scrambled with thoughts. I want to get to work. I want
to
wake up from what feels like a horrible dream. A bus finally arrives and
I
leave the scene.
I look up to the skies. Tears run down my face. I will miss you Chris.
We
all will. Now you are free to fly, run and leap, and sing - go for it
mate!
A long day ends. I’m at Mooroolbark Railway Crossing waiting for the
gates
to open. I see two young people slide themselves under the gate and walk
across. Are they crazy? I want to tell them what I saw today - but my
voice
is too tired and my communication device has a flat battery.
My hand squeezes the joystick and I take yet, another deep breath. I
make it
to the other side - one more time. Thank you angels.
* 2001 mj smith.
Deaths on Railway Crossings
Thanks Mark for passing on Mel's goodbye to Chris Jones. There have been
two other recent deaths? One man was killed when his scooter fell off a
narrow platform, and another was killed when his chair became stuck on a
level crossing.
My chair was stuck on a line some years ago, at night, and I remember
clearly how terrifying the experience was. Luckily the train that came
through was on a different track. The station staff didn't hear me
yelling. I was saved by a young boy who heard me from 500 metres away.
The
story was in a daily paper but there was no other outcome.
Will Disability Justice Victoria lead us in a campaign for rail safety?
Margaret Cooper
________________End of message______________________
Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
are now located at:
www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
|
