PS: Scrapping of IC Trains to Impact People with Disabilities Most

Bratislava, October 22 (TASR) - The decision to scrap InterCity (IC) trains will also affect people with health problems and disabilities, as having to travel almost 45 minutes longer between Bratislava and Kosice might be deleterious to their health, the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party warned on Tuesday. "Every additional minute [on a train] for them might lead to increased pain and discomfort. For individuals with autism, such a change could mean a severe disruption to their routines," said MP Veronika Veslarova (PS). Veslarova pointed out that people with disabilities are already discriminated against when traveling by train as it is. "Individuals bound to a wheelchair must plan their trips ahead and report them beforehand, a fact that deprives them of the flexibility enjoyed by others," she said. Because of this, PS called on the government to reconsider the scrapping of IC trains and to adopt measures to enable equal access to transport for all citizens. PS warned that without IC trains, rail travel times on the Bratislava-Kosice route will lengthen, and it underlined that high-quality and rapid connections between the two largest Slovak cities is crucial for the development of the eastern region. "We're going back in time. Thanks to [Robert] Fico's government, we'll be travelling longer from Bratislava to Kosice," stated MP Martin Dubeci (PS), adding that no good alternatives to rail connections exist at the moment. mf/df