KUALA LUMPUR: The lack of platform barriers at Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations has been cited as a major factor in accidents involving passengers, especially persons with disabilities (PwDs).
Transport Minister Anthony Loke explained that older LRT stations were built without physical barriers between platforms and trains, unlike newer Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations.
“Prasarana is now reviewing proposals to install barriers between platforms and tracks to reduce risks,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat.
He acknowledged that retrofitting barriers at older stations would be costly and time-consuming due to redesign requirements.
Loke was responding to a supplementary question from Khairil Nizam Khirudin regarding safety gaps after a visually impaired man died at Wangsa Maju LRT Station in February.
For now, auxiliary police have been deployed at high-risk stations to enhance vigilance and assist PwD passengers.
The government is also upgrading accessibility features, including lifts at older KTM stations, to improve inclusivity.
Rail operators are training frontline staff to provide professional and empathetic assistance to PwD commuters.
Loke addressed these measures in reply to Syerleena Abdul Rashid’s query on public transport accessibility improvements for PwDs. – Bernama
