Story by Danny Ooi
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud
RAMPS at the Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (Komtar) still fall short of providing proper access to wheelchair users.
Pulau Tikus assemblymember Yap Soo Huey said this is so even though Komtar has undergone many upgrades over the years with ramps built for
easy accessibility.
Yap on April 11 took several wheelchair- users around Komtar to highlight her point.
“We have a ramp that literally leadsnowhere and a so-called accessible valet parking that’s too expensive for the disabled,” she told reporters at the
ground floor of Komtar.
The ramp Yap was referring to leads to a set of elevators to access government departments and offices in Komtar tower but the drawback is that the
public is not allowed to access the lifts without first registering at level three.
“This means they can utilise the ramp but they can’t use the lifts so they have to use another entrance on another side of Komtar for lifts to go to the
third floor first,” Yap said.
She also showed her concern on the disabled parking lots on level two which again do not actually allow the disabled to access most parts of
Komtar.
She suggested that special registration be allowed on the ground floor for the disabled so that they can access the lifts from there instead of having to
make a bypass to another entrance.
“There should also be ramps for accessibility to the post office and to the nearby bus terminal too,” she added.
There was no ramp to the post office and wheelchair-users have to use the road to go to the bus terminal in Komtar or take a longer route.
She also hoped the disabled parking lots can be shifted to the third floor with proper ramps to the offices there.
Yap pointed out there is only one disabled toilet in the whole of Komtar complex on the ground floor and it is always locked.
When asked about the overall accessibility of Komtar, wheelchair-user Chooi Kee Boon said he usually enters Komtar through the other entrance
from Komtar Walk.
“The problem is that the ramp there is always blocked so I have to ask people to help carry me up the steps,” he
said.
He does not use the ramp that leads to the elevators because it is inconvenient and he can’t access the lifts there.
However, he agreed that overall accessibility in the state has improved somewhat over the years where pavements have been upgraded.
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