The Sydney Road Accessible Tram Stops Now campaign on June 28 marked two years of the Victorian government’s doublespeak about accessible tram stops along Sydney Road. It was an anniversary none of the 100 attendees wanted.
After two years of inaction, residents still do not know how they will live their lives when the Upfield train line is closed for the level crossing removals for at least 18 months along the Upfield corridor, a high density population area.
There are no accessible tram stops over a 5.5 kilometre stretch, between Brunswick Road and Bakers Road, Coburg North. You can get on, but you can’t get off!
Rally goers said the government needs to guarantee it will complete accessible tram stops on Sydney Road before the Sky Rail construction begins.
Brunswick resident Christian Astourian, who started the campaign, spoke about his love of public transport because it connects him to the community.
Anasina Gray-Barberio, Greens member of the Legislative Council, Northern Metropolitan, said accessible transport is important and criticised the government for ignoring federal laws compelling the construction of accessible public transport.
Kevin Healy, longtime activist and 3CR presenter, told the crowd about the long history of fighting for accessible transport and the wins so far, but said a lot more still needs to be done.
The crowd marched up both sides of Sydney Road and stopped outside the office of MP Peter Kahil, where Socialist Alliance Merri-bek councillor Sue Bolton addressed the crowd.
She said federal Labor has a responsibility to hold Victorian Labor to account for their agreement signed for accessible transport as a basic human right.
“It’s not just wheelchairs users that will be affected by the lack of accessible public transport when the Upfield line is closed. People with mobility issues, parents and carers with children and prams, commuters with bicycles and the elderly will all suffer if there is no accessible public transport for the duration of the Sky Rail build,” Bolton said.
The cost of building accessible tram stops is not significant when compared to the budget dedicated to the level crossing removal project, Bolton said.
The federal Disability Discrimination Amendment Act 2002 makes accessible public transport a legal right and stipulates that public transport in the states and territories was required to be fully accessible by the end of 2022.
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