Disabled activists to file class-action lawsuit over BTS access

By  Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter

 

Disabled rights activist Manit Inpim in a September photo taken at BTS National Stadium . Photo : Accessibility Is Freedom / Facebook

 

BANGKOK — Hundreds of disabled right activists will converge at the Civil Court on Friday to file a class action lawsuit against City Hall for failing to obey a court order to make all BTS Skytrain stations wheelchair accessible.

 

Two years after prevailing in a landmark Supreme Court ruling, activist group Transportation for All said Wednesday it decided to file the suit after a year had passed without the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, or BMA, adding one operable elevator to its inaccessible stations.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/transpo/2017/01/18/disabled-activists-file-class-action-lawsuit-bts-access/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-01-18

There are loads of unfinished station elevators along the Sukhumvit BTS system. I remember seeing some elevator installation activity months ago but that's all disappeared now.

When they were building it, the lack of access was a huge issue.  Now that it is operating, one can only hope they will rectify it. 

I noticed that it took ages to relocate all the underground services before work could begin on the new elevator at Aree BTS. It's now well over a year, and it's still not operating yet. 

 

But, the elevators are only one part of a much bigger problem (for the disabled - and also the elderly).

 

Even if every BTS station did have properly-functioning elevators, these people also have to negotiate Bangkok's notorious footpaths !!!

 

So, in their quest for mobility, this is a "step" in the right direction for the disabled, albeit a small one. 

 

They should also allow passengers to walk from one side of the platform to the other without needing to swipe the card. I think the platform is designed poorly.

54 minutes ago, mike324 said:

They should also allow passengers to walk from one side of the platform to the other without needing to swipe the card. I think the platform is designed poorly.

 

You don't have to renegotiate the tickets to change platforms. You can just go down the stairs, and climb the opposite stairs.

Access for disabled people at BTS stations is nothing more than an afterthought. They were never designed to ease access for the disabled/wheelchair-bound to start with. The Chongnonsi BTS station is a prime example. I really can't fathom how some people who can design such multi-billion baht platforms can also be so irrevocably stupid.

7 hours ago, outsider said:

Access for disabled people at BTS stations is nothing more than an afterthought. They were never designed to ease access for the disabled/wheelchair-bound to start with. The Chongnonsi BTS station is a prime example. I really can't fathom how some people who can design such multi-billion baht platforms can also be so irrevocably stupid.

 

The disabled activists should all arrive in this model wheelchair and just use the escalators. Just drive them into the skytrains as well and it will be worldnews.

17 hours ago, thinknirmal said:

 

You don't have to renegotiate the tickets to change platforms. You can just go down the stairs, and climb the opposite stairs.

 

What I meant was if you exit the wrong side of the platform (after you swipe your card), you can't go back in without re swiping or if you bought a single ticket too bad. I've seen many tourist exit the wrong end of the platform only to find out they need to exit the other side. This poses big challenges for handicapps and even those with small children and stroller, as many stations don't have elevators nor escalators.