"Melbourne out of reach" for some tram users

Reporter: James Ohis-Kummer.

Accessible tram stops in Melbourne’s north have been neglected. 

Of the 35 stops on the Route 19 tram, only seven stops are accessible for people who experience mobility access issues and most of the stops are kerbside hailing points without ramps.

Merri-Bek local Will Taylor lives with arthritis in his knee and knows this firsthand.

“Seven accessible stops isn’t the same thing as an accessible tram route,” said Taylor.

“Getting up onto and off the trams, particularly the high floor ones, can be a challenge for me,” said Taylor.

The Sydney Road Accessible Tram Stops Campaign rallied last month, calling for the upgrades to be prioritised, ahead of major construction on the Upfield train line level crossing removal, due to begin in 2029.

The Upfield line runs partly parallel to Route 19 and has fully accessible stations, but will be shut down during construction, leaving passengers with mobility limitations reliant on trams.

“I hope that by the time the Upfield line closes, people won’t be forced to choose between staying home and using an inaccessible tram,” said Taylor.

Local advocacy groups and the Merri-bek Council continue to call on the State Government to meet its legal obligations under the federal Disability Discrimination Act.

State Member for Pascoe Vale, Anthony Cianflone, said the depot upgrade would cost $115 million and improve usability for locals.

"We are making journeys across Melbourne's north safer and more accessible," said Cianflone.

The project includes one accessibility upgrade nearby, two level-access stops on Moreland Road, however, those stops will service Route 6, not Route 19.

Within view of the new stops, at the same intersection, the Route 19 stop will remain without level access.

“Every inaccessible stop puts a bit more of Melbourne out of reach,” said Taylor.

Sydney Road inaccessible tram stop. (Image: Doublelee)