Barrier for Barrier Free

The blind man was walking with a guide dog along the edge of platform of a subway station in Tokyo, before he fell down on the rail and was hit by train to his death. No one seemed to have guided him to a safe way. Japanese news media is arguing the necessity of more guard fences on platform of train station. But, as long as people refuse communication with strangers, including handicapped passenger, tragic accident will not be eliminated.

Naoto Shinada, 55, had a disease of extremely narrow sight. When he was walking on the track of Aoyama-Itchome station of Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, there were not so many people to disturb his move. Although warning tile blocks were paved along the edge, Shinada was walking on the side of edge. The warning announcement of station attendant could not make him notice that danger.

Newspapers focused on the absence of guard fence at the track. According to the research of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, 80 optically handicapped people fell from train platform in FY 2014. The Ministry realized that only three out of ten stations, each of which had one hundred thousand or more passengers a day, did not have guard fence. For a blind person, going to a station without guard fence is walking on a tight rope of warning tile blocks. Stations on the Ginza Line were on their way to settle the fence.

There are mainly two reasons of not having many guard fences in train stations. One is because it is expensive. To set guard fence that has certain heaviness, train platform has to have enough structural power to support it, which may often require reforming construction for reinforcement. For all 29 station of Yamanote Loop Line in Tokyo to have guard fence, it approximately costs ¥55 billion.

Another reason is difficulty of building fence in a manner of one size fits all. There are various formations of trains in Tokyo. It is not unusual for a train station in Tokyo to have subway train and trains of private railway company in the same track. While one may have three doors in one car, another has two or four. Gate of the fence cannot be moved to fit each train.

But, experts of barrier free issue argue importance of public care for handicapped people. Anyone can warn a blind person walking along the edge of train platform with voices. It is necessary for passengers waiting for train to refrain from putting baggage on warning tile blocks. Under the economic policy with law of the jungle, however, sympathy on the weakness may not easily be fostered.