Wheelchair ramp temporarily closed for improvements, says MMDA

The ramp intended for persons with disabilities at the Edsa Busway’s Philam Station. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The controversial wheelchair ramp connected to a footbridge at an Edsa busway station will be temporarily closed, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Saturday.

Acting MMDA chairman Don Artes said the closure would facilitate the installation of either a wheelchair platform or lift, which may take one to two months.

“In the meantime, we will temporarily close it while the construction is ongoing. Our fellow citizens will have to use the stairs for now,” Artes said at a news forum in Quezon City.

He still defended the ramp, saying it only appeared steep and dangerous for persons with disabilities (PWDs) because of the camera angle of the person who took the photo and posted it online.

“The angle that went viral on Facebook looks like a slide. However, if you look at it from another angle, it’s not that steep,” Artes said.

The MMDA head on Friday said that the contractor of the wheelchair ramp has pledged to install the alternative platform or lift for free. He also assured the public that the government would not incur any expenses for the improvements to the ramp.

Pictures and videos of the ramp at the Edsa-Philam busway station, which was inaugurated on Monday, went viral after netizens, including PWDs, noted how the ramp was proving to be unsafe for its intended users.

One of the videos showed a man in a wheelchair trying to descend the ramp facing backward, holding on to the rails for control and requiring help from a companion. The ramp connects the footbridge to an elevator, which PWDs can use to enter or leave the station.

In 2018, the MMDA drew flak for the elevated Edsa-Kamuning footbridge, which pedestrians also found too high and steep. The agency then defended its construction, saying it was intended to curb jaywalking.

With a report from Jerome Aning, Philippine Daily Inquirer