Disabled community furious at Malaysian Airport Holdings Berhad's decision to scrap aerobridges.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) has come under fire from the disabled community for contravening a Parliamentary Act that emphasised the importance of accessibility to the disabled.
MAHB’s decision to scrap the construction of aerobridges at the new KLIA2 airport, despite an inherent policy which made it mandotory that they build one, has left the community incensed.
Said V Murugeswaran of Damai Disabled Persons Association: “The decision by MAHB not to include aerobridges in the construction of the new airport is a step backward and taken in the wrong direction.
“If underdeveloped countries can have aerobridges at their airports, why is Malaysia which is a step away from achieving developed nation status, regressing to third world status infrastructure and service provision?”
Murugeswaran was among 20 community representatives who gathered at the Bangsar LRT station this morning to protest MAHB’s decision.
The community is also sore at low cost carrier Air Asia for being inconsiderate and deciding that an aerobridge was ‘not important.’
An aerobridge is a permanent passenger boarding bridge and the disabled community see this an essential to their airport mobility.
Five days ago MAHB disclosed that aerobridges would not be built in the KLIA 2 airport if it was not going to be used.
Constantly sidelined
According to MAHB since AirAsia was not using the aerobridges it would not be ‘worthwhile.’
“As AirAsia and Air Asia X will be the major airlines at KLIA2, it may not be worthwhile to incur the cost if the aerobridges are not going to be used.
“Discussions will be held with other LCCs as well on their requirements,” MAHB was quoted as saying in English daily, The Star.
The statement followed AirAsia’s request for an exemption from MAHB’s policy of requiring airlines to use aerobridges.
This morning Murugesan lambasted MAHB saying their decision contravened the Malaysian with Disabilities Act.
“May we also draw your attention to Malaysian with Disabilities Act.
“The Act clearly emphasises the importance of accessibility to enable persons with disabilities to fully and effectively participate in society including access to public facilities, amenities and services and buildings and public transport facilities with universal design as a key feature of such access..
“We are deeply saddened that despite provisions in the act and many assurances from the government authorities and politicians, including Ministers, disabled people continue to face barriers and difficulties in their everyday life.
“Disabled people continue to be sidelined in national development projects such as KLIA2 which involved multi-billion ringgit in construction cost,” said Murugeswaran.
Cheaper alternative
The move to protest against MAHB’s decision however did not go down well with Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) councillor Anthony Thanasayan.
Thanasayan, a disabled himself felt that aerobridges were too expensive a commitment.
He suggested instead the use of the portable ambulifts in airports.
“The ambulift is more suitable as it is portable.
“Having an aerobridge will increase cost for passengers by 20%.
“It is unfair to shift the cost to able-bodied passengers.
“I have been carried up into planes in the US because the smaller airports does not have aerobridges and ambulifts,” said Thanasayan, who is the president of Petpositiev and an activist for the disabled community.
Whilst agreeing that ambulifts are faulty, he said most of the time the problem was with poor or lack fo maintenance of this facility.
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