A Rappler accessibility walkthrough of all 46 train stations in the megacity finds 80% of stations aren't fully accessible to persons with disabilities
MANILA, Philippines – Taking the train in Metro Manila can be an obstacle course involving jam-packed carriages, snaking lines of passengers, and mad dashes up staircases. But for persons with disabilities, it is almost impossible to commute alone.
Conducted on different days from August 7 to 14, the walkthrough sought to assess how the train system meets needs of persons with disabilities who wish to travel safely, independently, and with dignity through the metro. In LRT-1’s Doroteo Jose station, both PWD ramps from the street were used as motorcycle parking and led to locked doors. The station’s supervisor told Rappler during a visit that, in the case of one of the entrances, the door has been locked for months because of repairs being done to an elevator. It’s not clear why the same was the case for the ramp in another entrance.
Later on, we visited specific stations with members of Kasali Tayo and Move As One Coalition who have disabilities – visual and hearing impairments, and physical disability. Adriano, lead convenor of Kasali Tayo, was among those we commuted with on August 15. LRT-1 was the worst performer in terms of accessibility via elevators. Only five, or a quarter, of its 20 stations have elevators. For the rest, wheelchair users would need someone to carry them and their wheelchair up flights of steps to the concourse and platform.
One Santolan Station comfort room lacked any sign that indicated it was for PWDs. Some, like those in Anonas Station and Roosevelt Station were locked during the walkthrough and could only be opened upon request, according to staff present. Others were behind a cordon or a police desk, as was the case in Pureza and Recto stations, respectively, both of LRT-2. In Balintawak , maintenance staff said both PWD toilets were kept locked and unused, except for storage.
NO SIGN. The door on the right leads to a bathroom for persons with disabilities but lacks a sign. Photo by Francessca Abalos/Rappler “Rather than going down on all fours, crawling on a public toilet to access a toilet because the wheelchair cannot get in, they hold it. They stop it. So, kidney stones, kidney disease, that’s what happens to them,” he told Rappler in an interview.Commuters who have visual disabilities rely on information relayed through sound to find their way to their destination, purchase tickets, and be warned of hazards.
Inside the trains, the amount of information for commuters was also unpredictable. There were carriages, mostly in LRT-1, that lacked even the route map for the line. In LRT-2, there was always a route map in carriages we rode, but they were all outdated – they lacked the two new stations Marikina-Pasig and Antipolo. LRT-2, however, gets points for having an automated announcement system in all its train carriages, a big boon to persons with disabilities waiting to know which station is up next.
LRTA said the standing signages blocking tactile flooring in Katipunan Station was necessary for the safety of commuters. The LRT-1 line is unique in that all its train carriages we observed were higher than the platform. Platform guards said they would push or carry wheelchair users up onto the train. No ramps are used, they said. This presents yet another barrier to persons on wheelchairs who wish to travel independently.
“There are areas where there are suddenly etchings or cracks in the tiles. Though these may be so small as to be unnoticeable, as a white cane user, it’s important to me that the tiles are smooth because my cane can hit the cracks and hurt me,” said Adriano. There are 1.4 million persons with disabilities in the Philippines, according to the 2010 Census of Population and Housing. A more recent survey, the, found that 12% of Filipinos aged 15 and above live with a severe disability while 47%, almost half, experience a moderate disability.
Government is considering turning over operation and maintenance of MRT-3 and LRT-2 to private companies while the train lines themselves will still be owned by the government, as is the case with LRT-1.Metro Manila’s train system relies heavily on human resources to make up for a lack of facilities for persons with disabilities.
What if many persons with disabilities all ride at the same time, overwhelming the staff? What if a person with a disability wishes to travel alone or commute without asking for assistance? Independent travel is a right that, at present, only persons without disabilities enjoy in Metro Manila. The systemic shortcomings in Metro Manila’s train network boil down to two problems: lack of policies and shortcomings in implementation.The basis for PWD facilities in train stations is the country’s Accessibility Law, Batas Pambansa Bilang 344 . Unfortunately, it hasn’t been updated since 1994.
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