‘Who designed this?’: Sydney train station blasted over lifts

A commuter has slammed a major “flaw” at a Sydney train station, calling out the “dumb” design.

A Sydney man has blasted an Aussie train station. Picture: TikTok@pnuks

A Sydney man with a prosthetic leg has slammed a train station’s “dumb disability access design” following a major new upgrade.

Paniora Nukunuku, who posts under the social media handle @pnuks, pointed out the serious “flaw” at Erskineville train station, in Sydney’s Inner West, in a video on TkTok this week.

“Who in Transport NSW designed this?” he captioned the video, which has received over 130,000 views.

Mr Nukunuku pointed out the major flaw at Erskineville train station. Picture: TikTok@pnuks

He said the station has a “dumb disability access design”. Picture: TikTok@pnuks

In the video, Mr Nukunuku pointed out there is only one lift enabling wheelchair users to enter and exit the train station on one platform at the station’s main northern entrance.

Other platforms were also fitted with lifts as part of a November 2023 upgrade, however, they are located on the opposite side of the station.

“What people don’t see is that that is the only lift on this side to get you out of the train station or into the train station,” he said in the video while pointing to the lift on platform one.

“So what do you do if you’re disabled? Well the government has thought of this, they’ve planned this,” he continued.

“What you need to do is wheel yourself all the way to the other end of the platform, go up … on the bridge, down this elevator, wheel yourself all the way down the (other) platform until you get this elevator and go up and then go out.”

“Why couldn’t they just build an elevator here?” he questioned, pointing to a flight of stairs on platform two.

Mr Nukunuku pointed out there is only one lift allowing wheelchair users to enter and exit the train station at the main northern entrance. Picture: TikTok@pnuks

He said wheelchair users would need to make their way to platform one if they wished to exit the station via the main entrance. Picture: TikTok@pnuks

Speaking to news.com.au, Mr Nukunuku said he was “shocked” when he noticed the design of the station while travelling to a friend’s house this week.

“It’s so stupid and inaccessible,” he said.

“We, the taxpayer, have put money towards something that is not working for parts of the public.”

He claimed it would take a wheelchair user at his location on platform two 10 minutes to travel to the lift and exit via the main entrance.

“If it takes a person who’s disabled 10 minutes to leave a train station then that’s not accessible. That’s the opposite of access,” he said.

In a statement to news.com.au, a Transport for NSW spokesperon noted access to Erskineville Station was only available via stairs before the November upgrade.

“Erskineville Station now has direct lift access to all four platforms, via a new accessible entrance on Bridge Street,” they said.

“Previously, the station did not meet the requirements of the Federal Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (DSAPT) for all passengers.

“As part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program, Erskineville Train Station has been upgraded to improve safety and accessibility for customers, including those with a disability, limited mobility, and those with prams or luggage.”

They said the project team previously assessed if it would be possible to add lifts around the northern station entrance.

However, they noted “design and structural challenges meant we were only able to install one lift at the Swanson St entrance”.

In a separate video, Mr Nukunuku claimed an exit at the southern end of the station is also not ideal for wheelchair users as it requires passengers to travel “uphill” for 160 metres after leaving the station.

“The designers of the upgrade really expected elderly, pregnant people, disabled people, to trek this?” he said.

Mr Nukunuku claimed an exit at the southern end of the station (indicated by the yellow line) is also not ideal for wheelchair users. Picture: TikTok@pnuks

Mr Nukunuku’s videos received a mixed response online.

While some shared similar access issues at Aussie train stations, others questioned why he was complaining.

“A lot of the trolls were just trying to invalidate and discredit people who are disabled,” he told news.com.au.

“They (told me) ‘just walk it off, you’re not really disabled, you have a fake leg you can walk up the steps’. But I’ve clearly explained in the video, if I was in a wheelchair, this is the distance and track for you to take.”

As a content creator, Mr Nukunuku said he’s sadly used to receiving “ruthless” comments from people online.

“People speak in a manner where they will never be disabled, or would never grow old. But you would want people me to speak out just in case you happen to have a child that’s disabled or if you happen be in an accident, and you need support.”

Mr Nukunuku said he wants to see greater consultation between Transport for NSW and those with a disability to improve access for all passengers.

“I’m appreciative that they have elevators at Erskineville. I just think it was poorly executed,” he said.

“I would like them to have someone who is disabled, or have some sort of consultation with a team of disabled people with various accessibility needs to be consulted on this.”

One of Mr Nukunuku’s videos previously went viral in 2021, when he shared a confrontation he had with an elderly lady who questioned why he had a disability parking permit at a Sydney McDonald’s.

He claimed the woman approached him as he parked in the carpark at Lakemba McDonald’s, knocked on his window and demanded to know if he owned the disability permit displayed in his windscreen.

He filmed the woman he claimed asked him about the pass. Picture: TikTok@pnuks

Mr Nukunuku vented on social media about the incident. Picture: TikTok@pnuks

“Did you not approach me because I wasn’t disabled enough?” he asked in the video.

The woman responded: “I will tell you why. I’m asking you because I desperately need it. There have been times … please listen to me.

Mr Nukunuku then cut her off saying, “I’ve got one leg and you come up to me asking if this card is mine?”

“I did and I have a right to,” the woman said.

Mr Nukunuku replied: “No you don’t have a right to. If the card is there, you don’t need to worry about it.

“There is a reason we have the card its so this doesn’t happen, so you don’t assume that someone isn’t disabled enough. Don’t ever do that again.”