Disability Discrimination Commissioner

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

c/o disabdis@hreoc.gov.au

 

Re : Application by ORTA for temporary exemption under the Disability Discrimination Act section 55

 

Dear Commissioner

 

The Australian Quadriplegic Association (AQA) represents the interests of people with severe physical disabilities. A number of our members regularly use the wheelchair accessible bus services that have been introduced over recent years on a limited number of routes in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.  We are shocked to discover that these accessible services may now be taken away from our members for at least two months because of an apparent lack of planning by ORTA and the NSW Government in regards to accessible transport requirements for the Games.  What particularly irks our members is that it is nearly 7 years since Sydney was first announced as the 2000 Games venue. It would appear that this exemption application by ORTA is the result of an ‘afterthought’ after it realised that it had not adequately assessed the need for accessible transport in its planning for the Games.

 

Because of this, AQA is not prepared to endorse this exemption application by ORTA unless the following conditions are met:

 

·        ORTA offers alternative arrangements to those people who can only travel in accessible transport and who will be financially disadvantaged if they lose their wheelchair accessible bus service during the Games (eg. covering any additional costs for their wheelchair accessible taxi travel)

 

·        The NSW Government fast-tracks the retrofitting  (installation of wheelchair ramps) of the 81 low floor Scania buses owned by the State Transit Authority. If it wants to use these vehicles for the Games, ORTA should compensate the State Transit Authority for the cost of retrofitting. 

 

·        Noting the urgency of the need for accessible buses for the Games, ORTA should also be asking the State Transit Authority for the use of those Scania low floor buses that already have flip back chairs in place. These could provide wheelchair access with portable ramps. If no longer required by State Transit Authority after the Games, the portable ramps could then be given to CityRail. 

 

·        As an act of goodwill towards the  disability sector, ORTA publicly acknowledges the need for the DDA Accessible Transport Standards and lobbies the Federal Government for the Standards to be enacted as a matter of urgency

 

·        ORTA assures the disability and aged sectors that it will not be taking over wheelchair accessible vehicles operated by HACC community transport services.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Mark Relf

A/g Chief Executive Officer