Residents Say Depok Baru Station Lacks Disability and Elderly Access, Call for Lifts

Residents have raised concerns about access at Depok Baru commuter rail (KRL) station, describing it as unfriendly towards the elderly and people with disabilities. They believe the station should be equipped with lift facilities.

Observations by detikcom at the location on Sunday (22/2/2026) showed that from the entrance of Depok Baru Station, there are stairs for general use and a separate path for disabled access. The station area features tactile guiding blocks for visually impaired passengers. However, to reach the opposite platform, the only access is via an underpass with stairs and no guiding blocks.

Although each platform is provided with wheelchair facilities, disabled passengers cannot directly cross between platforms, as the staircase underpass is the sole means of switching platforms.

One resident, Aulia (25), said Depok Baru Station is not disability-friendly. She noted that the staircase access is shared between disabled passengers, the elderly, and the rush-hour crowd of commuters.

“It’s absolutely not disability-friendly. Even for able-bodied people, during the evening rush hour it’s extremely crowded going up and down the stairs. One side of the staircase is like a narrow household stairway, so it’s very suffocating. And this has to be shared with the elderly, disabled people — someone already using crutches still has to climb stairs,” Aulia told reporters on Sunday (22/2/2026).

She said a close relative had switched to boarding the KRL from Pondok Cina Station because they could not manage the stairs at Depok Baru Station. She expressed hope that lifts would be installed.

“There really should be a lift. I once met a visually impaired person who needed to get to the terminal but had to use the stairs — it was pitiful. My uncle can no longer alight at Depok Baru Station because there’s no accessible route. He has a kidney condition so he gets breathless quickly. Now he gets off at Pondok Cina or UI Station instead. But most of the time he just doesn’t want to take the KRL anymore,” she said.

“At the very minimum, if there’s no budget for a lift or escalator, build an overpass crossing above the tracks. If that solution can’t be done because of safety risks, then think about the risks to passengers too,” she added.

Another resident, Tania (22), also said Depok Baru Station is not friendly towards the elderly or disabled. She noted that despite the availability of wheelchairs, they are effectively unusable because there is no lift for crossing between platforms.

“It’s not disability or elderly-friendly. There’s no lift for switching platforms. They have wheelchairs available but they can’t actually be used,” Tania said.

“And even without a lift, at the old Depok Station there’s still an underground passage — if someone needs to go through, the security guard opens the gate for them. At Depok Baru Station there’s nothing at all, just the staircase underpass,” she added.

She said the underpass is also narrow. Because of the lack of disability access, passengers wishing to reach the Bogor-bound platform must enter through the station entrance near the market.

“The stairs going down from the Bogor platform are narrow too. So people who want to get to the terminal without climbing the stairs have to go the long way round through the market — getting off at the Bogor platform and walking around via the market. There really needs to be a lift,” she said.