аЯрЁБс>ўџ .0ўџџџ-џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅСq Пxbjbjt+t+ &(AAR%џџџџџџ]           8D P _ ь€€(ЈЈЈЈЈЈ$ & & & & & & $K є?dJ  ЈЈЈЈЈJ X  ЈЈ€XXXЈ Ј Ј$ Д,р,    Ј$ XŒXф Vи @  $ ЈlрФ/ЅнР  И  16 May 2001 ref:CD/pj;E0764/01 Disability Rights Unit Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 1042 Inquiry into wheelchair accessible taxi services Thank you for the opportunity to provide input to the inquiry. The Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment has long recognised the important relationship between accessible transport systems and quality of life outcomes for people with a disability. Without flexible accessible transport options children with a disability cannot attend schools, acquire the knowledge and skills to participate in the workforce and become tax payers instead of tax consumers. Without accessible transport people cannot make their contribution to society. For some years now the system of accessible taxis has attempted to redress this situation until a range of accessible public transport systems could developed. There are however many outstanding issues with the taxi system that need to be addressed. The submission from this Office is attached for your consideration. If this Office can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me on 9248 3510 or the Disability Employment Adviser, Paul Jenkin, on 9248 3540. Yours sincerely Carol Davies Director Taxi Service ‘Special’ taxi licence plates are provided by the NSW Government at pepper-corn rates (at public expense) to operators of accessible ‘special purpose taxis’. Under ordinary circumstances taxi plates are very expensive to purchase – so purchasing an accessible taxi can be a lucrative way for some operators to get into the taxi business. The ineffectiveness of the current arrangement creates impossible demands on driver / operators who do the work and long response times for customers. There is no monitoring by taxi companies or the Department of Transport whether or not the driver / operators pick up enough passengers with a disability to justify being permitted to retain the licence plates for accessible taxis. The lack of transparency / accountability for how driver / operators are using this public gift should be addressed. Vacant M50 taxis will often drive past a potential passenger despite the job being booked and the booking showing on the taxi drivers LCD display screen. The issue of access to M50 taxis is exacerbated in the evenings when untrained relief drivers are used. When one can be prevailed upon to pick up a passenger in a wheelchair they often do not know how to use the wheelchair restraint system. Often part of the wheelchair restraint system is faulty – this makes travel dangerous. In many taxi cabs the air conditioning is limited to front seat passengers. This makes travel arduous, exhausting and sometimes dangerous for wheelchair passengers gasping at the rear of the taxi. Taxi Type Debating whether there should be more or less taxis or the proportion of taxi fleets that should be accessible does not address the fundamental issue of efficient or effective management of these resources. The issue of whether there should be dedicated taxi services or a universal taxi is probably unresolvable due to individual preferences. In principle, the stigma of a dedicated system is regressive and should be avoided. Public acceptance of a multiplicity of taxi types has taken years to achieve. It is more productive to look at how an accessible public transport system might make use of multi-purpose taxis and other forms of transport to move people to and from employment, leisure or school. As an alternative to an accessible public transport system (buses and trains) taxis are probably the most expensive form of transport (even with a subsidy) for a group in society that can least afford it. Alternative Accessible Transport The European Parliament recently passed the ‘Bus and Coach Directive’ which will mean that all buses in the European Union will have to be fully accessible for people with a disability. The NSW Government and many private companies lease their buses from European manufacturers. The NSW Government has no options except to progressively replace ageing buses with accessible ones from its European suppliers. That events in the EU have overtaken local issues means there is no longer a need to wait for the Commonwealth to officially authorise the Disability Standards for Accessible Transport or wait 5 years after that date for accessible bus transport to become a reality. It may be an appropriate time to begin thinking in terms of accessible transport system rather than just the taxis. In this way we can begin to more effectively and strategically look ahead and plan what the accessible transport system should look like within say the next three years. Recommendation 1. Operators using ‘public funded taxi plates’ should be audited against performance criteria. For example, where they are unable to demonstrate at least 50% of their work is picking up passengers in wheelchairs the ‘free’ special purpose taxi plates should be reclaimed and reallocated by the responsible authority. Recommendation 2. A standardised, competency-based training be introduced and enforced for all drivers licensed to drive taxis. Recommendation 3. Quality control and periodic monitoring be introduced for wheelchair entry and restraint systems as part of compliance requirements for taxi registration. Recommendation 4. Adequate air conditioning be compulsory in all taxis – in particular where the passenger is located at the rear of the vehicle. Recommendation 5 International advances in accessible public transport vehicles (bus, taxi, train) be monitored and where applicable used to bring forward accessibility in local systems. 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