Disability Access on Public Transport | Parliamentary question without notice answered
10/09/2013
An answer has been provided to a question without notice asked on the 6th of February 2013.
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Transport Services questions regarding the accessibility of public transport vehicles.
Leave granted.
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: I have, on a number of occasions in the past in this chamber and in other fora, raised my concerns about the accessibility or lack thereof of vehicles used to provide the state’s public transport services. Of particular concern to me is the number of older vehicles being used on busy commuter bus routes and on substitute services during major works on the train and tram lines. At the present time, with major electrification works underway and the Adelaide Railway Station undergoing a major upgrade, many of these substitute services are or have been in use across metropolitan Adelaide.
There have been, as members are no doubt aware, many complaints about the substitute services and about many buses used to deliver those services. Chief amongst those complaints have been concerns about a lack of air conditioning on hot days and the poor accessibility of older buses brought back into service to manage demand. The buses, many of which have only a front door and which are characterised by steps, narrow aisles, and a lack of space for wheelchairs and other mobility aids, have proved extremely challenging for people with disability, the elderly and parents of young children in prams, in particular.
One recent example that illustrates this very clearly is the case of Eliza Cook, whose negative experiences have attracted some media attention. Ms Cook was left in a precarious position, a position which left her young son at risk, because a bus driver was too concerned about liability issues to assist her to board the old, inaccessible substitute bus. When she contacted the provider to complain, Ms Cook states that she was told to email the provider waiving liability, so that staff could assist her. Ms Cook said that the experience left her feeling that she was an unwelcome inconvenience, and that her son’s safety was of little, if any, importance to the service provider.
This is the message that is being sent out every day to those with additional accessibility needs by the outdated and inaccessible bus service that is being provided to them, not just on substitute services but on any route being serviced by these old, inaccessible and unsafe vehicles. My questions to the minister are:
1. Is the minister concerned that staff providing public transport services are unable, or believe they are unable, to offer assistance to people with additional accessibility needs?
2. Is the minister concerned that in many cases the need for this assistance arises only due to some of the old, unsafe and inaccessible buses being used to provide public transport services in this state?
3. Will the minister undertake to ensure that staff providing public transport services receive appropriate and consistent advice and training regarding assisting people with these needs?
4. Will the minister undertake to ensure that public transport services are only provided using vehicles that are safe and accessible by phasing out the use of poorly maintained, older vehicles to manage demand?
The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for her most important questions. I undertake to take that to the Minister for Transport Services in another place and bring back a response, but I will say one thing. In relation to the final question asked by the Hon. Ms Vincent, of course the government is committed to removing, over time, those old vehicles that do not have easy accessibility for people with disability. We have made that commitment in the past.
I believe that our transport fleet—certainly in terms of buses and trains—is about 88 to 92 per cent accessible already, and I think the plan is to have it 100 per cent accessible by 2020. However, as I said, I will take those questions to the minister in another place and bring back a more detailed answer for the honourable member.
The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation): The Minister for Transport Services has been advised of the following:
1. The Department for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) advises that all staff undergo rigorous instruction in customer service delivery during staff training, and being alert to the needs of passengers (particularly the elderly and those with mobility difficulties) is an integral part of this training. Staff that do not meet the high standards set, may be counselled and required to undertake additional training.
2. A significant investment in the bus fleet has been undertaken in recent years, for both new and replacement buses, which has seen the level of accessibility on the regular Adelaide Metro fleet rise significantly from around 31 per cent ten years ago to approximately 86 per cent. It is expected that the entire fleet will be fully accessible by 2020, two years ahead of the schedule required under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) to be at 100 per cent by 31 December 2022.
DPTI is very sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities or those who have difficulty in boarding and alighting buses, and is not resting on the achievement of DDA requirements. A fully accessible bus fleet as soon as financially and operationally possible is the goal.
DPTI acknowledges there are times when older, non-accessible buses are used to provide Adelaide Metro services; however, these are rotated across the network to provide the best spread possible of accessible vehicles to all customers.
In addition, some older buses are currently being used to supplement the regular Adelaide Metro fleet to provide replacement rail services while major track upgrade works are undertaken on the network. These buses are required to be used due to the size and nature of the closure and the need to provide a continuous public transport service for passengers without impact to regular bus services.
These buses have been granted an age extension in line with a special exemption under the Passenger Transport Act 1994. Before this extension is granted, the vehicles must pass both the annual regulatory inspection undertaken by DPTI (required under the Road Traffic Rules), and also undergo a frame inspection by an approved vehicle inspector.
It is important to note that all tram and train services across the Adelaide Metro network are fully accessible.
3. As outlined above, all staff receive training in being alert to the needs of all passengers. It is important to note that while bus drivers are encouraged to assist customers wherever possible, due to occupational health, safety and welfare requirements, drivers cannot be directed to assist passengers in contravention of their own safety, as well as that of the passenger. However, I am advised that all drivers are constantly reminded to assist passengers where possible, including the elderly, mobility impaired and parents with prams.
4. In regard to the age and condition of buses, firstly let me assure you, strict requirements apply to vehicles before they are used as part of Adelaide Metro’s fleet including ongoing maintenance and adherence to service standards.
DPTI advises that for a large passenger vehicle to be registered in South Australia, buses must meet technical requirements outlined within the Australian Design Rules and Code of Practise for Buses. Any bus up to the age of 25 years is able to provide a passenger transport service as long as it has a current inspection certificate indicating that it has met safety standards and the operator ensures the vehicle is subject to ongoing service and maintenance requirements. All buses in service are subject to mandatory safety inspections and must pass minimum requirements to be permitted to operate on the Adelaide Metro network.
It is an exciting time for public transport in South Australia with over $1.5 billion invested into our public transport system over the past five years, with over $800 million being invested over the next two years.
This investment has included the addition of 100 brand new, fully accessible air-conditioned buses added to the fleet, providing over 1000 additional or expanded services across the Adelaide Metro network. These extra buses are in addition to the ongoing bus replacement program, which introduces approximately 25 to 30 new fully accessible air-conditioned buses into the fleet each year, to replace existing buses which reach the end of their service life or compulsory retirement age. The introduction of new buses has seen the average age of the State Government’s regular Adelaide Metro bus fleet fall to currently just over nine and a half years.
