Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that the “Orange Table” application carried out by TCDD Taşımacılık AŞ General Directorate facilitates the travel of citizens with special needs by removing obstacles in train stations and wagons.
Minister Uraloğlu stated that the “Orange Desk” service has been offered since December 2, 2019, in order to facilitate the travel of passengers with limited mobility in mainline and high-speed train stations with high passenger density.
In addition to the YHT stations in Ankara and Eryaman, there are also stations in Eskişehir, Konya, Selçuklu, Karaman, Pendik, Söğütlüçeşme, HalkalıUraloğlu emphasized that the “Orange Desk” service is provided with 26 personnel in a total of 61 stations, including the Izmit, Polatli, Bozuyuk, Bilecik, Arifiye, Gebze stations and the Kirikkale, Yozgat and Sivas stops of the Ankara-Sivas High Speed Train Line, and said, “We continue our work in many areas, from the ticket purchasing system to assistance services at the stations, to make the lives of our special needs brothers and sisters easier, to include them in society as equal individuals and to increase their productivity. Since 2019, 72 citizens with reduced mobility have benefited from the ‘Orange Desk’ service in 749 stations.”
Uraloğlu stated that they designed the new stations and vehicles completely in accordance with the standards of citizens with special needs and in a way that will make their lives easier, and said, “We are also making revisions and modernizations in our older stations and wagons according to the new standards, and we have done it to a large extent and completed it. In this sense, there is a very important sensitivity in all our units. All the elevators, escalators, parking lots, and sensible surface areas in our stations, we have the same and more than what is in international standards.”
Special Training for Orange Desk Employees
Uraloğlu, who drew attention to the importance of the Orange Desk service provided by TCDD Transportation Inc. General Directorate, said, “This is a service we provide at 26 stations and we are increasing it every day. It has also been very much appreciated by our citizens. Our passengers with special needs first notify the stations they will board with our ticket system. When individuals with special needs arrive at the station, they are greeted by our specially trained staff. All services are provided by these staff until they board the vehicle. They are also greeted by these staff at the station they will get off.”
Uraloğlu stated that those working in places where Orange Desk service is provided are trained in many subjects including sign language with special courses, and added that hearing impaired citizens are also assisted through video calls via call centers. This application improves the travel experience of citizens with special needs, making rail transportation more accessible.
