AS a multiple sclerosis sufferer using two crutches to get about I read with delight the article in Wednesday’s Evening Times on the lack of disabled access at railway stations.

I feel the distinct lack of help at stations should be highlighted, particularly the disabled service at Central Station.

I have personally had experience of this on two occasions.

Firstly when my local station was being given upgraded and I was advised that I would need to disembark at a different station as there would be no disabled access to leave my local station.  

My companion and I were taken off the Glasgow to Neilston train,  but the taxi that was promised did not materialise and on using the “help” facility on the platform, the control centre claimed they had no knowledge of our request... funnily enough the guard did speak to them on his mobile. We were left at an unmanned station with no lighting, no staff to help and just managed to get the last train home.

But then had the problem of exiting my local station.

The latest episode was three weeks ago. I paid a visit to the craft fair in Glasgow.  

My local station was brilliant,  got me on the train, then tried to contact the disability people at Central.

No-one answered the phone, therefore there were no ramps in place to get me onto the next train to the SEC. 

Thankfully the low level trains were staffed and with lots of running about and good humour the problem was solved, but not before making the train slightly late.

Both times made me feel like a pest, causing all this trouble.  Please don’t get the impression the staff made me feel like this.  

They were absolutely brilliant, but could the people who dream up the ways in which disabled people are transported by rail, not try to be a bit more sympathetic, especially if they want people to use their train companies.

Governments and local councils all want us all to use public transport, but don’t seem too interested in helping to achieve their aims.

In this day and age could trains not be fitted with retractable ramps, the same as those on buses and taxis?
 

Margaret Allan
Via email

I NOTE that yet again it’s bureaucracy delaying the erection of Chic Murray and Billy Connolly statues. 

The last time I looked there seemed to be ample space in the grounds of Oran Mor to accommodate the pieces without annexing any of the pavement. 

Could it be that maximising profitable outside drinking space is more important than acknowledging the comedians?

W Holman
Strathaven

PRIME Minister Boris Johnson claimed at a BBC news Q&A session, “That the Tory party doesn’t do coalitions as we are the oldest and most popular party in the country”.

Now I’m 100 per cent certain David Cameron done a coalition with Nick Clegg of the LibDems in 2010 due to a hung parliament. Then to hang on to their ill-gotten power, the Tories under Theresa May and yet another hung parliament in 2017 jumped in to bed with the DUP in yet another coalition.

And as for Boris’s own route to power, voted in by party donors and not the public. 

So maybe your party is not as popular as you think Boris.

Richard Low
Twechar

TO your letters correspondent Derek Campbell from Thursday’s edition, I say that I will be voting SNP at the election, not at my ‘peril’ but as an expression of wanting our country to look after its own affairs and not be tied by an English government, which we have no influence over. 

Also, independence does equal an SNP Government. An independent Scotland will be able to elect the Government it really wants.

MA
Glasgow

DON’T blame the hospital over A&E waiting times. 

Blame the people who go there with stupid little things wrong with them, such as stubbed toes etc. 

These people are stopping real accident and emergency cases.

Robert Cadden
Via email

WITH regards to the Jeremy Corbyn article in Thursday’s Evening Times by Stewart Paterson – Mr Corbyn may as well get the magic money tree out and give everyone free money.

The days of the Labour Party telling the Scottish people what to do are over.  No-one cares what Labour says now. We are voting for the party that gives us freedom from the EU superstate.

Jack Macdonald
Posted online

I’LL be interested to see what the fallout is over the HMRC ‘error’ with Rangers’ tax bill. What a farce.

MT
Glasgow