Gov’t urged to provide more buses for disabled

An appeal is being made to the Government to provide at least five buses to accommodate members of the disabled community.

Making representation for this vulnerable group following weekly Zoom meetings with the community in recognition of Disabilities Awareness Month, the President of the Centre for Solutions and Influence for Men and Fathers Dr Anthony Cummins said these individuals experience significant challenges moving about daily and often have to take on the expense of using a taxi service.

“We have seen the Government spend large sums of money to assist with making many things better. Why can’t the same government at least import five to ten buses specifically for the disabled community, separate from the Transport Board fleet?”, he asked, noting that the Transport Board’s electric buses could only accommodate one disabled person at a time.

“Maybe they can be marked in orange so that they are clearly identified and ensure that the person needing transportation gets it. From my understanding, they might not have a challenge contributing maybe $5 or $10 per trip to assist with the operations and maintenance. I think this is better than having to pay $160 for taxi fare to and fro to attend important functions or appointments, understanding that some of these persons do not work or cannot work by law,” Dr Cummins added.

During a press conference on Wednesday at the St Paul’s Conference Centre in Bayville, St Michael, he said people living with disabilities face challenges accessing the equipment they need to go about their lives comfortably and safely.

He said visually impaired individuals should have at least two canes to have one available in case one is damaged, but there are currently no canes available locally. He reported a similar situation with wheelchairs, saying access is extremely limited.

“This means that if you’re not from a family that can afford to help you source one, then you have to function without one. The latest news is that one time a disabled person requested a wheelchair from certain authorities and was told that the list is long and the only way he or she can get in the chair is if someone died or migrated,” the psychologist stated. (JB)