Home » Babble » walking the talk » disability issues
babble-intro-img
babble is rabble.ca's discussion board but it's much more than that: it's an online community for folks who just won't shut up. It's a place to tell each other — and the world — what's up with our work and campaigns.

Via Rail scrapping porters who help disabled travellers

lagatta
Offline
Joined: Apr 17 2002
July 29, 2013 - 8:37pm

This is disgusting. Via Rail is scrapping its "red cap" porters, who are specially trained to help travellers in wheelchairs, frail elderly people and other travellers with disabilities.

Universal access to public transport is a human right. Free public transport in one's own area, affordable public transport to make necessary trips. Grrrrrr....

A Swiss friend of mine with MS made the journey from Basel to Amsterdam to attend a conference, and was able to secure aid at both ends, before taking a low-floor tram to his final destination. There is no excuse for that not being the case here. It provides socially-useful employment as well.

The Toronto Star article mentions Union Station, but I wouldn't be surprised if this policy change also applies to other major VIA stations...

http://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2013/07/23/via_rail_to_scrap...

 

 

 


Comments

Unionist
Offline
Joined: Dec 11 2005
July 29, 2013 - 9:16pm
#1

lagatta wrote:

The Toronto Star article mentions Union Station, but I wouldn't be surprised if this policy change also applies to other major VIA stations...

 

Looks as if other stations are indeed affected, including 14 jobs at Gare Centrale in Montréal:

http://www.caw.ca/en/12253.htm

 


lagatta
Offline
Joined: Apr 17 2002
July 29, 2013 - 11:09pm
#2

Unionist, on my computer the CAW story flashed on the screen and then disappeared. Could there be a problem with your URL? I've been trying to find the same story in French at TCA.ca, but to no avail.


cco
Offline
Joined: Apr 25 2005
July 30, 2013 - 12:10am
#3
I believe Gare Centrale and Québec's Gare du Palais are the only two stations in the country with high-level platforms, which make it easier to board with a wheelchair. Without these, one has to board via stairs (and therefore a wheelchair must be lifted into the car). For all of Amtrak's problems, at least its heavily-trafficked Northeast Corridor stations have high platforms.

Unionist
Offline
Joined: Dec 11 2005
July 30, 2013 - 7:56am
#4

lagatta wrote:

Unionist, on my computer the CAW story flashed on the screen and then disappeared. Could there be a problem with your URL? I've been trying to find the same story in French at TCA.ca, but to no avail.

Hmmm, works on my machine... It links to a pdf file. Here's an excerpt:

Quote:
In Ontario a total of 35 positions were eliminated at the following stations: 24 at Union Station; 2 at
Brockville, Cornwall and Guildwood; 1 position at Aldershot; Brampton; Chatham; Stratford and
Woodstock.


In Quebec 14 positions were eliminated at Central Station in Montreal.

Additionally, VIA announced the abolishment of 7 part-time positions at the following stations: One at
Brockville/Cornwall; Chatham; Union Station (abolished in May); Woodstock; and Chandler. Two positions
eliminated at Drummondville (one with the closure of the Drummondville Station and one by attrition).

I assume the 14 positions at Central Station are a combination of redcaps and ticket sellers, given that ticket kiosks were installed there about a decade ago... But I certainly agree with your concern about redcaps, unless they have some other plan to deal with disabled passengers.

I doubt it, though. Remember the fiasco with the Renaissance cars VIA bought some years back? They had to spend a fortune modifying them to make them disabled-accessible, a small point which had escaped their notice before the purchase...

 


Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Login or register to post comments