Dear PLUS – Unsafe “Accessible” Facilities At RSAs

The following complaint to PLUS Expressways Berhad (PLUS) is a long time coming since I risked life and limb going up and then down an exceptionally steep ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Service Area (RSA) in January. This mail is also the culmination of the multiples times I had to contend with using ramps that are not safe for wheelchair use at the Tapah RSA. The complaint is addressed to Senior Manager Customer Relationship Management Department of PLUS Encik Husni Md Yusuf. It is my sincere wish that PLUS will take the initiative to rectify the problems for the safety and convenience not only of wheelchair users but everyone who uses these facilities.

Steep ramp at Ayer Keroh RSA
Steep ramp at Ayer Keroh RSA.

Dear Encik Husni,

I am a wheelchair user and regular user of the North South Expressways. I also had the privilege of attending a presentation by Puan Khalilah Talha regarding accessible facilities at the rest areas and lay bys of the expressways at the Real Roundtable in 2006. I was heartened by the effort PLUS is putting into making the rest stops inclusive for the comfort of people who need such facilities.

However, the many times that I broke my journey at the rest stops since then, I discovered that many of the supposedly accessible facilities do not comply with MS1184. I would like to bring to your attention specifically the facilities at the rest stops, namely at Tapah RSA north bound, Simpang Pulai lay by south bound and Ayer Keroh RSA south bound.

Photographs of the facilities mentioned below are available at:

Death Trap For Wheelchair Users At Ayer Keroh RSA

The ramps to the food court from the car park at Tapah RSA have gradients that are too steep for unassisted ascent and descent. In fact, these ramps are non-functional and are a safety hazard to wheelchair users.

Accessible parking spaces there are usually taken up by vehicles that neither have a disabled driver nor disabled passenger. There is really no point in putting up a sign to indicate that the parking spaces are reserved for disabled people when there is no enforcement and anybody can park there and deprive disabled people from using the facility. Many times, I had to park somewhere else and had difficulty getting in and out of the car as the regular parking spaces were too narrow to accommodate a wheelchair beside the car.

The parking space at the Simpang Pulai lay by with the signboard indicating it is for disabled people serves no purpose at all. The parking space is of the wrong dimension and too narrow for a wheelchair to be placed beside the car. As you may already be aware, MS1184 states that an accessible parking space must have a width of 3.60m.

The Ayer Keroh RSA has a ramp that is so steep that my wife had difficulty pushing me up the first section from the car park. As you may also be aware, the gradient for an outdoor ramp should not be steeper than 1:15. The ramps at the food court also posed a formidable barrier for wheelchair users to traverse due to their steep gradients.

The accessible toilets were located inside the gents and ladies. My wife was embarrassed that she had to accompany me into the gents to get into the toilet as they were some other men using the urinals. It would have been better to place the toilets separately like at Tapah RSA. Disabled people do travel with a companion of the opposite gender and may need their assistance in the toilet.

The gradient of the ramp to the car park was too steep for my wife to help me down. I had to seek the assistance of two Propel staff to assist me. Even then, they had problems holding on to my wheelchair to prevent it from rolling down too fast. I must commend them for their kindness. Unfortunately I did not get the names of these two Good Samaritans.

PLUS needs to look into these accessible facilities to ensure that they are usable by the people they were intended for. I suggest that an access audit be performed on these facilities to ensure that they comply with MS1184 and are safe for use by disabled people. Otherwise, these facilities may endanger the lives of disabled people who have no alternatives but to use it.

I trust PLUS will take the necessary actions to ensure that these facilities are functional and safe to use soonest possible. I hope to be able to use safe and functional accessible facilities the next time I travel on the expressways.

I look forward to a positive reply from you regarding this matter.

Thank you.

Regards,
Peter Tan

Death Trap For Wheelchair Users At Ayer Keroh RSA

PLUS General Manager of Corporate Communications Puan Khalilah Talha at the Real Roundtable 2006
PLUS General Manager of Corporate Communications Puan Khalilah Talha at the Real Roundtable 2006.

Back in 2006, I sat through a presentation by PLUS General Manager of Corporate Communications Puan Khalilah Talha titled Voluntary Corporate Compliance at The Real Rountable (Real Access for Life). The event was organised by the Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat in conjunction with the International Day of Disabled Persons to discuss about the barriers faced by disabled people in society.

PLUS presentation at real Roundtable
PLUS presentation on accessible facilities at rest stops at the Real Roundtable 2006.

The presentation specifically touched on the accessible facilities already constructed at the rest areas and plans to include such facilities in rest areas without them. I referred back to the conference pack and found amongst the presentation, a slide that proclaimed “dedicated handicapped restrooms” at the expressway’s rest and service areas were MS 1184 compliant. Malaysian Standard MS 1184 is the Code of Practice on Access for Disabled Persons to Public Buildings. At that time, I did not have a driving license yet and a newbie to the advocacy moment. I was thoroughly impressed by the progressive attitude of PLUS with regards to accessible facilities at the rest areas.

Ramp with steep gradient at Tapah Rest and Service Area northbound
Ramp with steep gradient at Tapah Rest and Service Area northbound.

For the past year or so, Wuan and I have been travelling up to Ipoh and Penang rather frequently using the North South Expressway. We would usually break our journey at Tapah Rest and Serivce Areas to use the toilet and for some light snacks. PLUS Expressways Berhad had put up signs to indicate accessible facilities at these places, namely parking spaces, ramps and toilets for the convenience of disabled people.

Accessible parking space at Tapah Rest and Service Area northbound
Accessible parking space at Tapah Rest and Service Area northbound.

It was during those trips that I discovered most of the accessible facilities were not in compliance with MS 1184. Ramps were mostly too steep. Fittings in the toilets were at the wrong places. Accessible parkings were not usable and mostly occupied by vehicles not entitled to the facilities. Wheelchair users should be able to use accessible facilities independently but those available at the rest areas were otherwise. Even if I could or wanted to, I would not be able to move conveniently around these places without assistance. Truly, it was a case of “indah khabar dari rupa.”

Parking space that is too narrow for disabled people at Simpang Pulai lay by southbound
Parking space not suitable for disabled people at Simpang Pulai lay by southbound.

When we went to visit my third paternal aunt in Melaka last week, we stopped at the Ayer Keroh Rest and Service Area. The food court and toilets were built on land elevated above the car park. The only way to get to the buildings for me were by way of a series of ramps. There was a yellow signboard with the wheelchair logo. just by the ramp.

Parking spaces and ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Serivce AreaParking spaces and ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Serivce Area southbound.

The ramps at the Ayer Keroh RSA do not comply with MS 1184. In fact, the section from leading to the road is a potential death trap for wheelchair users descending the ramps. The gradient was simply too steep even for assisted descent. Ramps should not have a gradient steeper than 1:12, meaning for every 10cm rise, the length of the ramps should be 120cm in length. Outdoor ramps are recommended to have a gradient of 1:15. A good ramp is one that a wheelchair user can ascent or descent effortlessly and independently.

Ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Serivce AreaRamp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Serivce Area southbound.

Wuan got me up the ramp after much huffing and puffing. The ramps connecting the various buildings were no better and do not comply with MS 1184. The accessible toilets were located in either the gents or ladies. Wuan had to accompany me into the gents accessible toilet to assist me. Ideally it would have been better to have separate accessible toilets to avoid embarassment should the personal assistant of the wheelchair user is of the opposite gender.

Ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Serivce Area food courtRamp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Serivce Area food court southbound.

The accessible toilet inside the gents was locked. Wuan checked the accessible toilet in the ladies. It was locked too. We had to wait for the cleaner to unlock it. I had to quickly do what I wanted to do in there as it reeked of urine. That must have been the most torturous 10 minutes in an accessible toilet for me ever.

Ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Serivce Area food courtRamp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Serivce Area food court southbound.

When it was time to get back to the car, I checked with a Propel staff if there was an easier way down. Apparently, that ramp was the only way. I had a feeling Wuan would not be able to assist me down the steep ramp. Two of the staff from Propel offered to help me descent to the car park. Even so, they had problems trying to hold my wheelchair from rolling down. I would not be able to go down the ramp by myself unless I had a death wish.

Being helped down the ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Service AreaBeing helped down the ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Service Area.

The wheelchair signboard indicating the ramp is misleading. That is neither a functional ramp nor a safe one to use. PLUS must ensure that accessible facilities bearing the wheelchair logo comply to MS 1184. Building a ramp and putting up a signboard with a wheelchair logo does not necessarily make it usable by disabled people. The ramp must be of the correct gradient, length, surface and fitted with handrails of the proper diameter.

Being helped down the ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Service AreaBeing helped down the ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Service Area.

Likewise PLUS’ responsibility does not end at allocating accessible parking spaces. The company must also ensure that these facilities are used only by people who are entitled to it. There is really no point in putting up signboards indicating parking for disabled people and then allow every Tom, Dick and Harry to park there when none of the occupants of the vehicles are disabled people. Of all the times that I have stopped at the Tapah Rest and Service Area, I could not park there as it was occupied by vehicles not entitled to park there.

The steepest section of the ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Service AreaThe steepest section of the ramp at Ayer Keroh Rest and Service Area.

PLUS still have much room for improvement in providing accessible facilities at rest stops and lay-bys. It would be good for it to engage the services of access officers to do an audit on existing facilities and advice it on future upgrading. This is to ensure that the facilities are truly MS 1184 compliant and fully functional and safe to use by disabled people.