Various organisations for people living with disabilities recently explored, for the first time, the state of readiness of the BRT buses for the disabled in Ekurhuleni.
Members from organisations such as T-SHAD (Tembisa Self Help Association of the Disabled), DeafSA, Mental Health and many more boarded the BRT buses at RTJ Namane Drive, in Tembisa, for a route tour on March 7.
After the tour they headed to Boksburg’s Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre for presentations and feedback on the BRT buses.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Transport and Planning Petrus Mabunda led the feedback session on the Universal Design Access Plan (UDAP).
The UDAP stipulates guidelines and principles on how to cater for people living with disabilities by considering factors such as equal access for use of people with various conditions and disabilities (including flexibility, simplicity and effective communication), the need to use minimal effort when accessing buses and suitable space and size.
“Around the world the issue of transport provision has often excluded certain members of society, including people living with disabilities.
“The Ekurhuleni metro is pleased to have afforded people living with disabilities access to buses. We hope that after this consultation, and moving forward, we will know what else to improve or include so that everyone can be comfortable when they use these buses,” Mabunda said.
- Motivation
The event was also attended by Nonhlanhla ‘Adoword’ Bakasa who is a television personality, entrepreneur and motivational speaker.
She motivated the audience by saying one can choose what they can and cannot do because “where there’s a wheel there’s a way”.
Bakasa, herself wheelchair-bound, explained that she was involved in an accident when she was 12 years old, but said this has never stopped her from living her life.
“I used to face difficulties when my friends and I wanted to go to the malls, for example, because it was a challenge to take a taxi.
“That 20-year-old who once sat at home in my wheelchair with a CV but didn’t know how to get to a required destination, today finally says they have opened a door for me to go out there to workplaces and schools without any assistance.
“The tour that we took this morning made me think about those years when I didn’t know how to get around. When we got into the bus there was a ramp and inside the bus there was a lot of space.
“I was so comfortable and it was a great experience knowing that I can board the bus at any time.”
Bakasa highlighted that it is also time for disable people to disable their ‘can’t’ mentality.
“Instead of focusing on what you cannot do, focus on what you can do.
“Just because you are incapable in one area does not mean you cannot over-exceed in another.
“You are not your wheelchair – it’s just how you roll. Your disability is not who you are, but it’s just part of your everyday life,” she said.
Vangile Mkhonza, who is visually impaired, said: “We thank the metro for organising this tour so that we could experience how the buses operate.
“I feel that visually impaired people were left out in the presentation because we can’t see on the screen.
“We were supposed to have brochures written in Braille to assist us in imaging and knowing what the buses look like.
- Features
Sibusiso Khuzwayo said the Department of Transport can improve by having sign language interpreters inside the buses for deaf passengers to communicate with the drivers where they are going.
Oupa Papu from the Department of Transport said they will work hand in hand with all the organisations dealing with disabled people to improve on and cater for these people’s needs in the transport sector.
Some of the universal access features for disabled commuters which the BRT buses include/will include are:
• Bridges and lifts at bus stations to allow people with disabilities to cross busy intersections safely and easily
• Raised platforms at bus stops to enable physically impaired passengers and people with prams to embark and disembark smoothly via a boarding bridge to the bus
• Ramps at intersections to enable people in wheelchairs or those with prams to easily move from sidewalk level to road level at intersections
• Tactile paving to assist visually impaired passengers to cross the road at intersections, lead them to boarding platforms and guide them to stations
• Audio and tactile push buttons at intersections to assist visually and auditory impaired passengers to cross the road
• Bold and easy-to-read signage at bus stops to indicate if the stop is wheelchair-friendly, with raised route numbers for the visually impaired
• Signage at intersections and bus stops at a height that is appropriate for wheelchair users. Variable message signs will be used on all buses and stations to indicate arrival times of buses.
• Universal access gates at stations to cater for commuters with special needs, to allow for quick and easy access to boarding platforms.
