Elderly and disabled residents are finding it difficult to access Sunshine railway station after the premature closure of an underpass, according to a local trader.
Nicholas Panastasis said he had been told lifts for people with mobility problems would not be available at the redeveloped station until April.
“I had a meeting with Regional Rail Link in January and was told ‘the lifts will be opening soon’,’’ said Mr Panastasis, who owns a business on Hampshire Road.
‘‘When I pushed [an engineer for an answer] … he said parts of the lift had yet to arrive from overseas and would not be operational until at least April.
“The next day, railway staff were telling the public the lifts would be operating on January 19.
‘‘They suggested the public could use the new ramps, which I explained were at least eight times longer than the existing pedestrian underpass ramps.
‘‘I counted 100 people using the stairs but not one person using the purpose-built long ramps.”
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Mr Panastasis said it wasn’t safe for elderly and disabled commuters to use the station’s steep staircase.
“It’s obvious the new station has been designed by people who don’t use public transport,” he said. “The same design failed in Footscray [which is] currently being retro-fitted for external escalators.’’
A pedestrian subway tunnel under the rail lines at Sunshine was closed to the public on January 2.
Brimbank Disability and Advisory Network member Peter Thomson said it was an appalling situation.
“It angers me so much,” he said.
“The disabled and the elderly have, yet again, been treated with contempt.
“The underpass wasn’t the best, but it’s the best option without lifts.”
A Regional Rail Link spokesman said lifts would be installed in “coming months”.
The old underpass will be filled in later this month.
