SPD politician Barth calls for faster conversions
Hochtaunus – Despite a statutory deadline, 20 percent of the train stations in the Hochtaunus are still not completely barrier-free. This emerges from the answer to a small question put to the state government by the SPD member of parliament Elke Barth.
The fact that 80 percent of the train stations are already barrier-free is “positive news at first,” says Barth. But the politician demands that the remaining stations also have to comply with the legal requirements as quickly as possible. The train station in Friedrichsdorf has been under construction since March 2022. The construction measures at the stations in Kronberg, Oberursel-Weißkirchen / Steinbach and Seulberg, on the other hand, are not scheduled to begin until 2024 and 2026.
The rapid conversion is “of social importance that should not be underestimated,” says Barth. Because inclusion also means that everyone can move around without insurmountable obstacles. “The number of people with mobility or sensory impairments will continue to rise in the future,” predicts the social democrat. “Our society is getting older, and living as independently as possible for as long as possible despite limitations in physical mobility is a wish of many.”
It’s even stipulated by law. According to paragraph 8 paragraph 3 of the Passenger Transport Act, which was amended on January 1, 2013, January 1, 2022 was actually the deadline on which the complete accessibility of local public transport should be achieved.
The legal basis for accessibility is the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. According to this, the contracting states, to which Germany has belonged since 2009, are obliged to ensure maximum accessibility. judo
