Despite The Repairs, the Subway Network Is Still Not Accessible To Users
<p style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">According to the AGN, one of the main obstacles is the separation between platforms and wagons, which reaches five centimeters. The lines C and E are entirely inaccessible. In Miserere there is a bathroom for disabled people, but it is located in an "impossible" place. And the D line lacks escalator maintenance and the elevators are out of service.</span></p> <div> </div>
A report by the General Audit Office (AGN, for its acronym in Spanish) notes that "while gradually reforms in the infrastructure of the stations of the subway lines are included, these works are far from turning the whole system accessible", adding that "even when these adaptations are performed in a particular line without interfering with the connections."
The watchdog says that the "Underground Network does not have the necessary infrastructure for people with reduced mobility to make use of it in an autonomous and comprehensive way."
The AGN analyzed, first, the user accessibility to stations, i.e., the state of stairs and elevators. On the other hand, they analyzed the ease of access into the wagons. In this regard, the Report adopted this year on data from June 2008 to March 2009, states that "the greatest obstacle lays in "the gap between the floor and the train platform, with a level difference of five inches.”
In a survey conducted by the Audit in 65 of the 76 stations of all the lines, it appears that the C and E are "inaccessible" in its entirety because, among other things, "do not have adequate means of access for the disabled to the ticketing area and the respective trains, they also don’t have ischial support and the access from the street is made via stairs."
Meanwhile, in the H line, which has 100% of its stations in accessible conditions, it was found that "at the time of verification, the various installed devices were out of service, which makes the stations temporarily inaccessible."
The AGN says that of the 16 stations that the line A has, three are accessible (Acoyte, Puan, and Carabobo), and Miserere has "a bathroom for disabled persons, but is located in an area impossible to access." Also, the B line has adapted two of its train stations.
According to the report, the D line "has the largest number of accessible stations (seven)," but also has "more maintenance issues" lack of escalator maintenance and elevators out of service, among others.
Note that the auditors have considered "accessible" to those places that have the means to procure not only "the autonomous movement" but also provide "security against possible evacuations or risky situations."
Finally, the report argues that the underground system "gradually works in order to adapt, but is currently not accessible."
