Larnaca airport’s ramp ‘too steep’ for disabled access

LARNACA AIRPORT has steep access ramps and was designed without considering the needs of limited access individuals, the Cyprus Paraplegics Organisation (OPAK) said yesterday.

OPAK yesterday issued a list of complaints about the airport, top of which was the steep arrivals ramp.

The ramp has a ratio of one to twelve inches: for every 12 inches travelled horizontally a person on the ramp will go up one inch. This is at the limit of recommended standards.

In contrast, the departures ramps have a ratio of 1 to 20, allowing a person on a wheelchair to negotiate a gentler incline.

“The designers had an obligation to design and build an airport as friendly as possible to people with disabilities,” the OPAK statement read.

OPAK claims the ramps were designed wrongly and “under no circumstances can the managing company’s excuses be accepted.”

In addition to the steep ramp, OPAK pointed out that Larnaca airport has only one lift, which could be a problem in case it malfunctioned.

An additional problem dealing with Paphos airport “was resolved after our protests” OPAK said and arose because people in wheelchairs could not see the weight counters when checking in their luggage.

Hermes Airports yesterday said they would study OPAK’s list.

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