I’ve had pain in my left leg for a few weeks. A physio is advising me on it, and while it’s unclear what’s caused it, it’s improving.
Essentially it means I have difficulty bending my left leg at the hip. It means I’m limping a bit, and I have difficulty climbing up steps and steep ramps.
I’d always hope I was already aware of accessibility issues in public spaces (including public transport), but this has emphasised it to me.
Steps are difficult, especially going up, and cause some pain, including stepping up into high floor trams. A single step into a train or a low-floor bus is okay – I just aim to make the step with the other leg.
Going up old railway station ramps can cause some pain. The gentler newer DDA-compliant ramps are fine.
My leg pain will pass (hopefully soon!), and it’s mostly a mild inconvenience.
But plenty of people are not so lucky, and work needs to continue apace to improve accessibility in all public spaces.
9 replies on “Limping”
It’s unfortunate that you have to experience the difficulties of public transport when you are incapacitated it’s worse trying to get on a tram in a wheelchair
Hopefully you leg improves.
Meanwhile users are being inconvenienced by lifts at Union Station continue to stop working when the temperature reached 35C forcing people to walk entire length of platform to use other lifts. Stairs are not an option for some people
Sorry to hear about your leg.
“A physio is advising me” …
I strongly encourage you to see a doctor about this, if you haven’t already.
Good luck with it!
As an old fart I can attest that getting old isn’t for sissies.
Hope you get better soon but get a heating pad and some tiger balm yer gonna need it.
Join the club Daniel, but hopefully for you it’s just temporary, not permanent like for those of us who’ve passed a certain time in life. On the positive side, it’s a great opportunity to test accessibility in public transport for those with what they term “hidden disabilities”.
Talking from a NSW perspective, our trams are fine, but the downsides are double deck trains and buses with stairs at the door (Bustech, which I think you have luckily escaped in Victoria) and/or stairs inside the bus. With all these, they claim that there’s a minimum accessible area, but that doesn’t help when that area is full, particularly in peaks.
As for stations and such facilities, fortunately NSW has had an accessibility program of works running for some years and substantial gains have been made. The advent of metro has brought radical improvement for trains, our trams are all low-floor and even ferries are accessible.
The bus scene is still very poor, but you should note the advent of two electric bus models that have a fully stepless floor – the Custom Denning Element and the Volvo BZL, both of which operate in Melbourne. One would hope that these are a catalyst for change, but TfNSW and operators are still sticking stubbornly to buses with stairs. Perhaps Victoria might consider taking the lead there. Here’s your opportunity as a lobbyist!
Hi Danial,
I know the PTUA is in favour of the SRL, but don’t you think that with the state broke, for many years to come, the money would be better spent on bringing accessibility up to the legislation for 2022, and 2032 ASAP, I would guesstimate about $6b, and spending the rest on Medical facilities. It doesn’t look like the federal government will be handing over the $2.2b (?) or any more anytime soon, is ever!
Tony, wouldn’t busses with no accessible entry be against DSAPT legislation?
@Robert Smith Buses are required by law to have a minimum of one stepless entry only – at the front. Bustech has been building buses that comply with this minimum standard, but have stairs at other doors. Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide and Canberra have buses like this. A couple of these cities allow entry by other doors. In addition, most buses have stairs inside in the aisle. My point is that stairs in general make access and movement difficult for people with mobility issues. The front entry is simply not adequate provision for mobility. Stairs also reduce the efficiency and safety of the vehicle.
@roger, yes, have spoken to a doctor, but the physio is proving more relevant.
@Tony, buying buses with only one step-free doorway seems like a very very bad idea!
@Robert, I think it’s important to keep SRL in perspective. If you’re a PTUA member, check your latest newsletter for a good article on this.
In summary – it’s not a $200b project, it never was.
The total current spending commitment is $7.3b … Still a lot of money, but that’s over several years, and if you’re worried about that, you should be more worried about North East Link, costing $26b (with a $10b overrun) – and with far more negative outcomes for our city.