Hull Paragon Station - keep the station accessible for disabled people! keep the gate open!

For many disabled people this is the ONLY accessible route into the station.

First Transpennine are suggesting that disabled people should call a mobile number and wait for a member of staff to open the gate. This will result in:

• People being left, possibly on their own and feeling vulnerable, whilst they are waiting to be permitted entry.
• Longer journey times –people would need to get the station earlier.
• Unfair treatment – disabled people need to do something different to non-disabled people to gain access to the station.

This will also impact on non-disabled people too!!!

• Inconvenience, especially for occasional users, for example people going on holiday, with luggage and children, who are arriving by taxi, will have to wait for the gate to be opened or walk around the station.
• Waiting time at the drop off point is 20 minutes – negotiating the closed gate will inevitably take longer than this now when picking someone up, increasing the risk of a financial penalty.

The closure is being trialled to protect station staff, but disabled people shouldn't suffer because of this. Alternate solutions should be found that don't result in disabled people being left without access.