Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Today, many people with reduced mobility and who depend on a wheelchair are still deprived of the opportunity to ride the train in Belgium. Despite the so-called "action plan" presented by Minister Karine Lalliot, it will take until 2032 before 176 of the 550 Belgian train stations will be accessible to wheelchair users. "It is too late and the number is too small," says MP Ellen Samin, who questioned the minister on this issue. According to a statement issued by the opposition Vlaams Belang party, a copy of which we received, one of the key measures of the Federal Action Plan for People with Disabilities 2021-2024 was to make train stations accessible to wheelchair users. "However, the new management agreement 2023-2032 with the NMBS railway company is not sufficient," says Samin. “The goal is to make 176 stations accessible to people with reduced mobility by 2032. That’s barely one station in three. The parliamentarian from the right-wing Vlaams Belang party is therefore asking the railway company NMBS and the federal government to step up their efforts. “Because of the limited options they have for using public transport, many wheelchair users find themselves excluded from full social life or from suitable opportunities in the labour market,” concludes the parliamentarian Samin. “Addressing this should be much higher on the list of priorities for the government and the National Monitoring and Surveillance Office.”