From: Douglas Herd [douglasherd@ozemail.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2000 0:55
To: disabdis@hreoc.gov.au
Subject: ORTA application for exemption from the DDA
Dear Commissioner,
 
I wish to add my name to endorse the submissions that have been made by Maurice Corcoran and the Physical Disability Council of NSW.  In addition, I wish to make the following points:
 
1. I am a wheelchair user and cannot access public transport unless it is wheelchair accessible.
 
2. I live on a bus route serviced by wheelchair accessible buses provided by the publicly owned Sydney buses.
 
3. I work in an office situated on a bus route serviced by wheelchair accessible buses provided by the publicly owned Sydney buses.
 
4. The bus routes which pass my home and office meet, making it possible for me to travel to and from work by wheelchair accessible bus.
 
5. The State Government is encouraging residents to use public rather than private transport for the duration of the Olympics.
 
6. When I have tried to use taxis to travel to and from work I have never, I repeat never, waited for less than 1 hour for a taxi to arrive.  Every prediction is that taxi transport will become even more problematic for the duration of the Games.
 
7. Fewer than 10% of Sydney's taxis are wheelchair accessible, meaning that I will have fewer transport options available to me than people who do not use wheelchairs.  This is discriminatory and a potential breach of the DDA.
 
8.  If ORTA is granted an exemption to the DDA, there will be between a 1 in 3 and 1 in 4 chance that wheelchair accessible buses currently operating on the services I could use to go to work will be removed from service (according to estimates supplied to HREOC by ORTA on 7 June).  This will act to my detriment, is discriminatory and is a potential breach of the DDA.
 
I strenuously object to ORTA's application.  I urge HREOC to reject the application from ORTA. 
 
Yours faithfully.
 
Dougie Herd