Rail travellers who use Bexley North station are forced to struggle with steep steps on a daily basis while those at Oatley enjoy “the Taj Mahal” of lifts, State MP Chris Minns claims.
“This monolith can be seen from space,” Mr Minns said of the $23 million Oatley station upgrade, which Transport Minister Andrew Constance described as “top of the pops” at the 2016 opening.
Mr Minns, the Labor MP for Kogarah, gathered nearly 200 signatures in a petition seeking a lift at Bexley North station after making the contrast in State Parliament late last year.
The MP said the very steep stairs made platform access “incredibly difficult for parents with prams, people with disabilities and the elderly”.
“Perhaps some of the funds could have been diverted from Oatley station, which has the Taj Mahal of train lifts,” he said.
“If part of the funds for the construction of the lifts at Oatley station were diverted to a space program then I am confident Transport for NSW could have started its very own space program in lieu of spending an inordinate amount of money on Oatley railway station lifts.”
A Transport for NSW spokeswoman was unable to say when Bexley North station would be upgraded, and offered no response to Mr Minns’s comments about Oatley.
She said the government understood the need for accessible public transport infrastructure across NSW.
The spokeswoman said, in June, 2017, the government announced a further $200 million would be spent on improving access to public transport.
”As of October 2017, 165 out of 307 stations are fully accessible for those with reduced mobility such as wheelchair users and parents with prams,” she said.
“This represents 53.7 per cent of stations and about 90 per cent of overall patronage accessing these stations.”
The spokeswoman said lift access was available at neighbouring stations, Kingsgrove, Beverly Hills, Riverwood and Narwee (officially opened on December 28).
“The Transport Access Program team is currently looking at what projects can be completed in the next round of upgrades,” the spokesman said.
“It is a co-ordinated approach, where every location is put on the table.”
Mr Minns said, since entering Parliament, he had watched residents struggle with the stairs at Bexley North station.
“I believe it is unfair that these people have this burden thrust upon them every day with little or no other choice,” he said.
Mr Minns said many were forced to use Kingsgrove station.
“All this does is cause traffic congestion, which is already a major problem for my area, and overcrowded platforms during peak hours,” he said.
Mr Minns said transport infrastructure was not keeping pace with fast growing population in St George.