Budapest mayor: city council has solution for metro 3 wheelchair accessibility

The metropolitan council will ensure the wheelchair accessibility of Budapest’s third metro line, which is in the course of being refurbished, by fixing “cabin structures” onto the escalators in the metro stations where the use of elevators is not an option, Budapest Mayor István Tarlós said on Tuesday.

Speaking to commercial broadcaster InfoRádió, Tarlós said similar structures are in use in cities like Berlin, Dublin, London, Naples and Paris. The mayor stressed that the structures would be safe to use.

He said the cabins could be installed at 20-25 percent of the cost of elevators. There are seven companies that manufacture such systems in Europe, Tarlós added.

The metropolitan council is considering installing such cabin structures at five stations, he said.

Last week, Hungary’s supreme court, the Kúria, approved holding a referendum on wheelchair accessibility for the metro line.

Tarlós repeated his position that the plebiscite was pointless, arguing that even if it were successful, it would not oblige the metropolitan council to build an elevator at every station.

Source: MTI