Article 20 of the United Nations Convention of Rights of People with Disabilities Clearly

Article 20 of the United Nations Convention of Rights of People with Disabilities Clearly

Introduction:

Article 20 of the United Nations Convention of Rights of People with Disabilities clearly states that Governments must take:

Effective measures to ensure personal mobility with the greatest possible independence for people with disabilities.

Some people with disabilities affecting theirmobility may be at risk of denial to access to services if poor public transport restricts their ability to access those services.

In order for people with a disability to access equal opportunities in work, study, and a social life, reliable, accessible, and affordable options for transport are needed.

Where people with a disability are opting to use an access taxi, there are ongoing issues with taxis being late, or failing to show up at all.

Despite an on-time bonus introduced in 2002 as an incentive for access taxis to reduce the waiting time for people wanting to use these services, and this amount being increased in October of 2016, there are still issues with access taxis arriving later than the expected time.

Some people with a disability are able to access the South Australian Transport Subsidy Scheme (SATSS), and receive vouchers to assist with their travel costs.

Unfortunately, many people with disability are unable to access this scheme if a review of their application results in the Department for Transport deciding that they are capable of using public transport.

In many cases, people are assessed as capable to catch public transport because they do not have a physical disability that would prevent them from getting onto a bus, however other circumstances are not fully considered, such as it being inappropriate for some people with an intellectual disability to rely on public transport.

Action:

Dignity Party believe that accessible and reliable transport services must be available to all people with disabilities.
In South Australia we must:

  • Ensure that the penalties for parking in an accessible car park without a permit include demerit points and a financial penalty to discourage inappropriate use of these parks.
  • Make all public transport (buses, trains and trams), taxis, access taxis, school buses and private vehicles fully accessible, and ensure the number of these vehicles, especially Access Taxis, are adequate to meet the needs of all people with disabilities requiring transport especially at night and at other special occasions (e.g. Christmas Day);
  • Ensure all tram stops are wheelchair accessible;
  • Meet all transport safety standards for all forms of transport, where all providers of transport for people with disabilities must meet their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), 1992;
  • Allow private vehicles used specifically for the transport of people with disabilities a tax deduction for modification and insurance costs;
  • Explore possible new technologies (e.g. Smartcards) for subsidy systems for the cost of transport services as the current voucher system for the partial payment of fares and for only a limited number of trips is inadequate;
  • Expand criteria for access to subsidy schemes to acknowledge where public transport may not be a safe or appropriate transport option for some people, even if they may be physically capable of using public transport;
  • Call on the Federal Government to make the cost of transport subsidies a responsibility under the Commonwealth State and Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) or the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS);
  • Maintain the SATSS for eligible participants who require it;
  • Quarantine public transport charges from increase until such time as all services are fully accessible.
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