аЯрЁБс>ўџ >@ўџџџ=џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅСq Пbjbjt+t+ &HAAкBџџџџџџ]*******>>>>8v ‚$> ЖККККККККж и и и и и и $Ч єЛ Ќќ *КККККќ **ККК   К"*К*Кж >>****Кж 2 <ЊH |**ж КІ яР+С>>м.Ф EQUAL ACCESS TO WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TAXI SERVICES The MS Society of Victoria Submission Introduction Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating progressive disease of the central nervous system affecting more young adult Australians than any other neurological condition. The MS Society currently has over 3400 registered clients in Victoria. The issue of accessible transport and the taxi industry has been one that has been passionately debated by people with MS and the MS society for some years. People with MS are key customers of the industry. Many of the reports contained in the completed submissions to the inquiry have common themes and anecdotes to those expressed to the MS Society. It is not the intention of this submission to repeat similar anecdotes and issues. The MS Society of Victoria has regular client reports of lack of quality and consistency in service and resultant lack of certainty in undertaking regular activities. In summary the most common issues raised are Response times Poor and unpredictable response times are experienced on a regular basis Preference expressed by regular users for regular drivers with their own booking system (although in many cases these drivers have full books of regular clients and cannot expand their list to new clients Many people with MS live with high maintenance health problems that compromise their ability to move around the community. The health status of people with MS requires regular use of health services, and so a reliable transport service is essential. With the irregular nature of their health status, it is difficult for people with MS to form a regular booking with a driver, which is the preferred practice of other people with disabilities. The central booking service has been problematic Sufficient Proportions of accessible vehicles It is difficult to assess the ability of the current fleet in the complex industry environment to provide adequate coverage, as it is not a dedicated fleet. The current proportion of vehicles meeting the need is clearly inadequate. A number of factors are relevant to this issue are: Coordination of bookings Accountability of licence holders and provision for a minimum proportion of M50 work to be performed Income maintenance for drivers and licence holders of accessible vehicles Workable incentives for the taxi workforce All of these issues require their own detailed review and recommendations either as part of this inquiry or a separate piece of policy development. The training and level of service from the current workforce is a issue commonly raised by people with MS. There is little evidence of a minimum industry standard in regard to service to people with disabilities, however some drivers who have exclusive M50 services are noted to provide excellent service Taxis seem to be doing regular runs (school runs particularly) which may bee seen to be non-traditional taxi work, and tying up vehicles at peak times. This is a result of the devolving of institutional services for people with a disability and the increase in community based services has meant that the bus runs that used to be a feature of centre based services are not as common. MS Society members have indicated that although there are visibly increase accessible taxis on the road, than in the past, the level of service and basic access to the service has not improved a great deal The M50 subsidy for drivers to pick up and unload appears to be an inadequate incentive to undertake this work. This is clearly demonstrated by the number of wheelchair capable vehicles doing regular taxi work. A more effective incentive is required to better utilise the current fleet Economic and Policy factors The cost for users for individual taxi transport remains high, despite the subsidies from the VicRoads Multi Purpose Taxi scheme and Centrelink. This is a big issue for people with MS who experience particularly high costs of disability. This is equally an issue for M40 users as M50 users. Industry funding The funding of the industry is fragmented and poorly planned. With a growing demand for an accessible fleet of vehicles to cater to individualised transport needs, the current public subsidy funding arrangements in a private industry is inadequate. The taxi industry is a private transport industry attempting to meet what has become a public transport need. At a policy level, governments need to make a commitment to a public transport model of individualised transport to support disability and health related policy initiatives. One response could be a fleet of accessible vehicles accountable under the auspice of the Commonwealth State Disability Agreement, operated within the infrastructure of the taxi industry, which is compatible to existing community and public transport systems. Funding programs such as the Victorian Futures for Young Adults program provides flexible dollars to allow choice of service type by clients, however this increased mobility of people with disabilities in accessing education, employment and leisure has put a additional load on the Victorian Taxi Industry Compensation schemes such as CTP and Workers Compensation who utilise an individual funding model for clients with resolving injuries as well as permanent disabilities are also stakeholders in this industry. People with acquired and compensible disabilities are also placing demand on the taxi industry, and anecdotally experience the same difficulties expressed by other groups to this inquiry The funding programs have not grown to incorporate this additional travel cost and little planning has been done by the Department of Human Services or CTP schemes to manage the impact of increased mobility of people with disabilities and the need for accessible transport fleets Effective Use of Accessible fleets Currently the funding for the individual use of accessible taxis comes from Vicroads (for the M40 scheme) and Centrelink (with the mobility allowance), and yet much of the demand for the services is being created by the DHS policy imperatives. This is a good thing, as people with disabilities need and welcome this additional flexibility in disability services. The resolution of this issue needs a whole of government response at the State level, incorporating the DHS, FACS and the CTP schemes, as well as the Department of Transport, who are all key stakeholders. The input of the DHS particularly is vital to an effective outcome The National Disability Standards need to apply to the provision of transport, and come under the quality assurance framework of other disability services. For this to be effective, the DHS and FACS would need to acknowledge that transport is an essential disability service in the same way as attendant care is a service to enable people with a disability access to community life MSSV HREOC TAXI Submission July 01 public@mssociety.com.au 45[]jW ГЕтфѓєљ ' ( qŽГ-Кнокло§іђю§ыыщы§ы§ы§ыы§ыхуы>*>*CJ6CJ5CJ>*CJ 56>*CJCJ45[\]jVW&'  ГДЕтуфѓє=> ј љ ћіђ№№юьь№№№№ъ№№ю№№ю№х№хм№ & F Цы@ & F-D $-D -D 45[\]jVW&'  ГДЕтуфѓє=> ј љ ' (  E ^ У 8 9 Э Ю ‚PQopqŽБВГ§њїєёьчфсолжгаёЭЪёЧСОЖА­ёЪЇЁ›•ŒŒŒё‰†ƒ€ПўџџРўџџуџџџфџџџ              бџџџ ьќџџ иўџџ Іџџџ  Їџџџ №џџџ ёџџџвџџџгџџџЉќџџЊќџџQ§џџR§џџ6ўџџ7ўџџџџџџџџѓџџџйџџџкџџџ2љ ' (  E ^ У 8 9 Э Ю ‚PQopqŽБВГФ§ћіћъъъъћћћћћхћхћхћћ§ћћћћу & F & F„и Цhи  & FГФН,-лмрсŸ ИЙКноJK[\клоњјјјѕђѕяьфсѕѕпмммкпѕ  pўџџмџџџ  нџџџ   ОўџџФН,-лмрсŸ ИЙКноJK[\кл§ћћћћіћёћіћћяћіћіћіээээћћ & F & Fњ & F$Аа/ Ар=!А"А# $ %ААТАТ [$@ёџ$NormalmH 4@4 Heading 1$@&5CJ:@: Heading 2 $$@& 56CJ6`6 Heading 3$@& 56CJ<A@ђџЁ<Default Paragraph Font*B@ђ* Body TextCJ0>@0Title$ 56>*CJ8P@8 Body Text 2B*CJhnH ,@",Header  ЦрР!, @2,Footer  ЦрР! 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