Issue is passenger sought assistance from the first IE person they came into contact with
They recieved no assistance at this point and continued on the assumption that no assistance could be provided and thus set the mess into motion
The ticket clerk deserves being shown the door, how hard would it have been to pick up the phone and call the station manager to sort things out, the passenger got the usual get lost IE attitude
Under the new EU regulations IE would be in serious trouble for not providing assistance when directly sought
While ringing ahead provides certainty in that assistance will be provided its not needed when the journey starts and ends at staffed stations. Experience on the ground indicates where assistance is sought on a ad hoc basis it is normally provided
Once on the train its a different case, crutches could easily have been out of sight. There is a contact button provided specifically for a passenger in a wheelchair at each wheelchair space on all post 2000 built trains to avoid this situation, there is no button at the priority seats though on a intercity train that is a recommended feature not a required one
The arrival at Heuston highlights a failure of the staff to ensure the train was cleared. There are three exits off platform 5, two of which are meant to be locked which doesn't help matters
The person you need to be talking to is the IE accessibilty officer
|