A tactile pathway used to assist visually impaired and blind people into Belfast Grand Central Station is to be reinstalled with improvements after it was removed due to safety concerns.
The metal tracks in the ground outside the new £340 million transport hub were lifted by Translink just months after it opened to passengers, over fears people might slip while walking on them.
The pathway at the Saltwater Lane entrance is vital in helping blind or visually impaired passengers safely make their way into the station, and it continues inside the building, guiding them to train platforms and bus departure stops, and to points including the customer service desk and accessible toilets.
In recent weeks, a long stretch of the pathway was removed outside the station, leaving only a short section at the entrance.
It follows concerns raised by visually impaired passengers over services available at the station.
Children in Crossfire charity founder Richard Moore, who was blinded by a British soldier’s rubber bullet in 1972 when he was aged 10, recently received an apology from Translink over his response to a request for special assistance in reaching a taxi outside the station.
Another blind passenger, Belfast man Oran Morrison, also spoke to the Irish News of his frustration in seeking special assistance at the hub for onward travel.
When the hub opened to fanfare in September, there were also questions over the decision to make it a ‘silent station’ with no announcements for departures except in emergency situations.
However, Translink has provided many features for visually impaired passengers in the station, including braille signage and ‘NaviLens’ codes that can be read by smartphones to assist users.
Following the removal of the section of tactile pathway, Mr Moore said: “There are people who will rely on it to get into and out of the station, and I hope it is replaced as soon as possible.
“For those who need the pathway, this is the equivalent of turning off lights in the station for those without any visual impairments and leaving them in the dark.”
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has said it was made aware by Translink of the removal in advance.
Paula Beatie, policy and campaigns manager for RNIB Northern Ireland, said the charity “is aware that the silver tactile along Saltwater Lane has been lifted by Translink due to safety concerns around slippiness when it is raining”.
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“We understand this is a temporary measure while an alternative finish can be laid that is better suited to inclement weather conditions,” she said.
“This situation does mean that there will be no tactile here for a short period only, an important issue for people with visual impairment who rely on such surfaces for mobility assistance and guidance. We will continue to work with Translink to ensure this situation is remedied as soon as possible to have an alternative finish in place.”
A Translink spokesperson said: “We are further enhancing navigation at Belfast Grand Central Station for visually impaired and blind passengers.
“We have been keeping key stakeholders updated on these works.
“The full tactile path will be returned with updated NaviLens codes to assist visually impaired and blind passengers to navigate around the station and access passenger information through their mobile device.”
