Turkey Propose Controversial Ban

In a move that is certain to court a great deal of controversy, a regional governor in Turkey has proposed a restriction on lift usage in public buildings. The proposal will see a ban put in place on people using lifts to reach the first three floors of a building. The governor of the western province of Edirne has put forward the idea as part of an overall campaign to fight obesity. It is hoped that it will encourage people to use the stairs instead. The scheme is another step in the governor’

A Question of Accessibility

Hospitals and nursing homes will be exempt from the restrictions, as will people with valid medical conditions, but other public buildings will have lift supervisors in place to enforce the ban. Although the proposal has its merits and has a number of good intentions behind it, the lift ban has not been greeted with open arms by everybody. There are, of course, any number of perfectly valid reasons why some people will have no choice but to use the lift to gain access to other floors, no matter how short the journey. One of the major reasons is the need for buildings to be accessible to everyone.

The accessibility of public buildings has been gaining major traction in the UK recently too. In this country, the increase in the number of platform lifts and DDA-compliant lifts has been welcomed but has still been highlighted as being in need of further improvement before the average British high street can be deemed fully accessible. Restrictions or even complete bans on lift usage, such as the one in Turkey, risk the further alienation of a section of society who may already feel slightly marginalised.

Getting Around the Lift Ban

The Turkish governor behind the controversial scheme says he is simply looking to promote better health for everyone. He has remarked that taking the stairs instead of using the lift can add an extra day to someone’s life. It is also hoped that a reduction in the number of journeys taken in lifts will contribute towards a lessening of energy costs. However, all of this is of no use to people who already require extra assistance in accessing the higher floors of public buildings.

Critics of the scheme, thought to be the first of its kind in Turkey, are of the opinion that the lift ban will simply not work. They say that most people, instead of walking up three flights of stairs, will simply take the lift up to the fourth floor and then walk back down one flight.