Submission to HREOC on Application for Exemption by ORTA.
I am wondering why there is an issue of a limited supply of buses in the first place. Considering the amount of time ORTA must have had to organise the logistics of transport for the Olympics the consideration of purchasing sufficient accessible buses must or should have been on the agenda from the very beginning. As I understand, even without the Olympics, public transport standards do not meet the needs of people with disabilities and accessible transport conditions and this ought to have been addressed years ago.
There is major lack of logic in the reasoning used in the application. If I understand correctly, one of the reasons is that because bus operators are working in the direction of being in the black with respect to people with disabilities they should be cut some slack and allowed to take a couple steps backwards into the red! Need I say more?
And another problem…What showcase? Look at how marvellous Australia is with respect to providing for people with disabilities. We are so marvellous that we cater to people with disabilities at the Olympics (the focus of international media attention) to the detriment of all other people with disabilities outside of the Olympic arena.
One final question. Is the fact that this is meant to only be for a couple months, really make it any more acceptable?
S.H. Lee