Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Romando Artes issued an apology on Thursday regarding the steep ramp for persons with disabilities (PWD) at the EDSA Busway's PhilAm Station in Quezon City.
"I apologize to the public if you get the impression that it was not well thought out. No, we planned it carefully," Artes stated during an ambush interview. He explained that architects and engineers from the traffic engineering center were consulted, and the current design was the best feasible option given the location's constraints.
Artes mentioned that the MMDA would meet with an architecture firm to find a solution for the steep ramp. "We are thinking if we can go around to extend it. The problem is, we will go beyond the road, which is dangerous, not safe," he said.
The area's challenges left the MMDA with the choice of either keeping the steep ramp or removing it entirely. Artes highlighted that only one of the five ramps built had issues, while the others had acceptable elevations.
An architect involved in crafting the implementing rules of Batas Pambansa No. 344, the Accessibility Law, noted that the PWD ramp was ten degrees steeper than the accepted standard. Nelson Belo, a Life Haven member and wheelchair user, found the ramp too steep to ascend and too dangerous to descend, potentially causing him to overshoot the rails.
According to Batas Pambansa 344's regulations, PWD ramps must have an incline of 4.8 degrees. To address the current situation, the MMDA has arranged for personnel to assist PWDs who find the ramp difficult to use.
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