From: Gloria [gcoll@home.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 24 May 2000 4:04
To: disabdis@hreoc.gov.au
Subject: Exemption Application by ORTA Individual Comment

Exemption Application by ORTA Individual Comment reasons why we do not support an exemption:
1. The DDA has now been in existence since 1992 and Draft Accessible
Transport Standards were first approved by the Australian Transport
Council as 'technically feasible' back in June 1996 - four years ago.

2. Some State and Territory Governments have used those Standards as
benchmarks and have been purchasing only accessible buses since late
1994 early 95.

3. Why is it, given that NSW Dept of Transport knew in August 1994
that they would be hosting the Olympics and paralympics, that they
did not instigate a similar purchasing policy as for example South
Australia.

4. Since late 1994, South Australia has purchased only accessible
buses. Their total fleet is 750 and they re-stock at approximately 50
new buses per year or 1 every week.

5. You don't have to be real smart to work out that the total
replacement of the fleet will take about 14 & 1/2 years or that in 4
years they will have approximately 200 accessible buses.

6. NSW has a much bigger fleet I understand, so the number of buses
purchased each year would be greater than a small State like South
Australia. Why is it that they have not purchased more accessible
buses?  How many excuses have you heard about the terrain being very
difficult or
not being sure about which ramps to purchase, or calming devices
preventing them from getting accessible buses??
 
7. I don't believe they have been genuinely trying to address
accessibility issues in transport and infrastructure to the full
extent possible. In fact, there has been considerable pressure from
particular lobby groups on the NSW Government to relax from the
Transport Standards.

8. This same lobby has also been the same isolated group which has
opposed the Accessible Transport Standards moving forward even though
all States and territories approved the Standards in April 1999. This
same lobby has been very active in Canberra with Ministers an senior
public
servants.

9. 8 years after the DDA, 4 years since the Transport Standards were
approved by the ATC as technically feasible and 12 months down the
track since they were 'finally' approved by ATC, we do not Accessible
Transport Standards in Australia.

10. Our understanding is that all Federal government Departments
supported the Accessible Transport Standards moving forward except
1.  Further, that this delay in one government Department is due to 1
individual who is linked back to the lobby group mentioned above.

11. The disability community is getting more frustrated and angrier
by the day as these long and discriminatory delays hinder the long
term development of a fully accessible transport system for
Australia.

12. An accessible transport system is vital for our aging society
where there continues to be a proportional growth of our entire
population with mobility disabilities.

13. If we don't plan to cater for this expansion (in the same way we
have done so with superannuation etc to promote self funded
retirees), transport operators are ignoring their biggest growth
market in off-peak travel and at the same time cause long term
isolation and waste of considerable human resources.

14. An accessible transport system is essential if this Commonwealth
government is serious about 'Welfare Reform' and enabling the full
participation of people with a disability in employment, education
and training and recreation.

Gloria
www.ladygen.com
 
WE win by tenderness;
WE conquer by forgiveness.