The State Government has requested a three-year exemption to discrimination laws to put the New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) trains into service, despite the trains being non-compliant with disability legislation and featuring significant accessibility issues.

Queenslanders deserve better.

This petition is to urge the State Government to put measures in place to ensure full accessibility remains a compulsory part of the planning and procurement process for any future major infrastructure projects.

The NGR trains have been shown to have major accessibility issues, including:

• Toilets and passageways that are inaccessible to most wheelchair users
• A guard cab located at the back of the train instead of in the middle.

As passengers with a disability wait for boarding assistance mid-platform, this puts the guard at lengthy 70 metre distance from passengers requiring assistance, where they may not be easily noticed.

By placing these trains into service, passengers with a disability will find they cannot rely on accessible bathrooms for long haul trips, or may find themselves frequently overlooked when requiring assistance to board and disembark.

If the State Government is granted exemption to put the NGR trains into service before they are made accessible and compliant, it shows the rights of Queenslanders with a disability and the aged can be readily ignored and that inaccessible, discriminatory infrastructure is still permissible.

By signing this petition, it sends a message to the State Government that accessible, inclusive and reliable transport should be mandatory, not an after-thought.

You can view Spinal Life Australia’s full submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission at www.spinal.com.au/ngr-trains-submission