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Wheelchair-bound commuters; Get help from LRT staf

Wheelchair-bound commuters taking the Light Rail Transit (LRT) are advised to seek help from station staff or auxiliary police to minimise the risk of getting stuck in the platform gap.

“In the rare absence of auxiliary police, please approach commuters for assistance,” Rapid Rail chief executive officer Datuk Ir Zohari Sulaiman said. 

He said commuters on wheelchairs must make sure that they entered and exited the trains in a straight position.

“They should not enter or exit sideways, which will increase the risk of the tyres falling into the gap.

“Furthermore, there is no need to rush when entering and exiting the trains, as there is sufficient time to do so.”

He said this in response to a news report quoting Kinrara assemblyman Ng Sze Han.

Ng  highlighted an incident at the Taman Perindustrian Puchong LRT station where a wheelchair-bound person was stuck between the platform gap upon entering a train.

Zohari said based on international standards, a maximum platform gap of 50mm was allowed for trains to enter and exit stations smoothly without any of its parts grazing the platform wall.

He said Rapid Rail had placed safety notices, reminders and made announcements at stations to ensure the safety of commuters.

“We also have audit sessions to test the usage of wheelchairs on the platforms, in the trains, and also during entering and exiting the trains.

“We, however, note that we did not try out every wheelchair model. The wheelchairs used are those brought in by our stakeholders,” Zohari said, adding that Rapid Rail had no authority to determine the types of wheelchairs allowed on trains.

He said every commuter must exercise caution and be alert while waiting for trains.

Rapid Rail, which operates the LRT Ampang Line, LRT Sri Petaling Line, LRT Kelana Jaya Line, the monorail services and MRT Line 1 Sungai Buloh-Kajang, manages more than 500,000 passengers daily.

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