RapidKL vows to do better after wheelchair user stuck at station

Summary

• Rapid Rail apologises after a wheelchair user was stranded at an LRT station gate, citing sensor issues and the absence of staff late at night.

• The company pledges to improve accessibility for people with disabilities by collaborating with PWD associations, enhancing helpline visibility, and deploying auxiliary police at gates.

• The incident, captured in a viral video, highlights gaps in service, with the user waiting 20 minutes for assistance at Pusat Bandar Puchong station.

Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd has apologised and vowed to do better after a wheelchair user found himself stuck at the ticketing gate of one of its LRT stations during late hours.

It said it will work with representatives from people with disability (PWD) associations and wheelchair clubs to improve the experience of PWDs at all its train stations.

“We want to guarantee all users that Rapid Rail has taken immediate action to ensure the incident does not repeat.

“The auxiliary police on duty will be placed at the automatic ticketing gates to monitor and assist passengers to leave the station smoothly and safely,” Rapid Rail CEO Amir Hamdan said in a statement today.

The company said it would also increase the number of places where RapidKL’s helpline is displayed and ensure it is visible to wheelchair users, so that assistance can be rendered quickly if required.

The statement was issued after a video was circulated on social media since Sunday highlighting the plight of a wheelchair user the night before.

The wheelchair user was waiting at the only automatic ticketing gate that was wide enough to accommodate the wheelchair, but the door would not open. Instead, a screen displayed the message: “Under maintenance. Please use other gates.”

The timestamp on the screen as shown in the video indicates this was 11.36pm on Dec 28. RapidKL’s website states that the customer service counters at the station close at 11.37pm.

“It is half-past-11 and there is absolutely nobody here. So, that’s why he is still waiting,” said the Instagram user with the handle ahyang_sis, who posted the video, referring to the absence of the station’s staff.

Further explanation

He also noted that the phone number for the RapidKL’s helpline was posted outside the gated area, where it can’t be seen by the people inside.

The wheelchair user ended up waiting for nearly 20 minutes before an auxiliary police personnel member came to help open the gate, he said.

According to RapidKL, the incident took place at the Pusat Bandar Puchong station and was caused by the sensitivity of the ticketing gate’s sensor and the absence of station staff to assist.

It explained that wheelchair users must remain on the tactile pavement area in front of the gate when they insert their tokens or tap their payment cards.

As for the station staff’s absence, Rapid Rail said they had already departed to the Awan Besar station for their final duties of the day during the incident.

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