Community
24 October, 2023
No footpaths to bus stops
NEW bus stops have been built in Cairns but with no footpath access.
Cairns regional councillor Max O’Halloran said it was ridiculous that there were no footpaths leading to new bus stop shelters.
He said it was vital that council departments and staff worked together when installing new or upgraded bus stops (to meet disabled accessibility standards) to include footpaths.
Cr O’Halloran has told a council planning and environment meeting that the departments needed to get “in sync” so that other infrastructure was included in the upgrades.
“Unfortunately, in a couple of situations there are no footpaths to the thing, especially in Edge Hill where there are two very, very pretty ones but you’ve got to be a stunt driver in a wheelchair to get there, you’ve got to go through the swamp, you just can’t get there,” he said.
“It’s a bit embarrassing when you get called out to the scene and stand there and try to argue ... you’ve got no hope.”
Cr O’Halloran said he knew the council had deadlines to spend the money, but coordination was essential so that there were footpaths leading to bus stops.
Later, he told Cairns Local News, one of the bus stops (above) was in Greenslopes St, between Pease St and Crathern Close, where there was no footpath.
“They (council staff) work too far ahead and are not working together,” Cr O’Halloran said.
Cr Rob Pyne, who is a quadriplegic, said Cairns needed a first-class public transport system and “one that services everyone, including people with disabilities”.
Cr Rhonda Coghlan said disabled access bus stops were highly valued in the community.
She said a few were upgraded in her division 8 last year.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say how they help them every day because they wouldn’t be able to travel on public transport without this assistance,” Cr Coghlan said. The council has been granted $114,075 (a 50 per cent contribution) from the state government’s Passenger Transport Accessible Infrastructure Program (PTAIP) to upgrade six bus stops to comply with access for disabled people standards.
