2019-09-06
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In the past, it was very inconvenient for the disabled to take a bus because of the height of the floor of the bus which made it difficult for them to get on and off, or because there was no access plank installed on the bus or other barrier-free facilities. Sometimes, the bus drivers were even unfriendly to such people, by rejecting them from getting on board the bus or discriminating against them through language, according to Director Li of the Bureau of Social Affairs. After the applicable laws governing the protection of the handicapped were enacted, Taichung responded positively by procuring low-level floor barrier-free buses with proper equipment to solve this problem incrementally.
The Bureau of Social Affairs and the Bureau of Transportation jointly held a gathering for the exchange between the disabled and the bus drivers to further improve the services of the low-level floor bus and the related facilities. They also arranged for the heads of the bureaus and the city councilors to take trial rides to experience the quality of services and hear the voices of the disabled, so they could provide more caring services and make travelling more convenient for the disabled.
City Councilor Chu sat in a wheelchair operated by Director Li of Social Affairs in a trial ride on Route No. 73 of the low-level floor bus. Director Yeh Chao-Fu of the Bureau of Transportation escorted them throughout the trip in an attempt to further understand the standard procedure that will aid the disabled to conveniently get on and off the bus.
Director Li expressed his gratitude for City Councilor Chu’s concern for the handicapped during the entire course of the barrier-free public bus ride. The protection of the disabled is an indicator of the development of a city. Taichung is the first in Taiwan to institute the “Self-Regulatory Statue for the Protection of the Rights of the Handicapped and the Advocacy of a Barrier-Free Environment.” Public hearings have been held previously to hear voices from all walks of life to make Taichung an even more friendly and highly developed city. Director Yeh also mentioned that the Bureau of Transportation will procure more low chassis buses in the next two years and will gather information on the experiences of the disabled of while riding this type of bus to use as reference for setting the standard operating procedures for this type of bus.
The disabled on the scene expressed their gratitude to the city government for the arrangement of a barrier-free environment and for providing them with more convenient means of public transportation. They also expressed their concern for the work environment of the bus drivers and suggested that the bus service providers give flexible work schedules to these bus drivers, an instant reward of a friendlier work environment. The drivers are expected to properly abide by the SOP of the barrier-free public bus, so that the disabled are pleased when they take the public buses.
Secretary-General Pai Miao-Chu of the Taichung Shang Hai Tun Association for the SCI Patients, President Lai Fang-Yueh of the Taichung Welfare Association for the Blind, President Huang Chi-Lin of the Taichung Welfare Promotion Association for the Disabled, President Ko Kun-Nan of the Taichung City Association of Spinal Cord Injured Group, President Chen Chung-Yueh of the Taichung Lottery Ticket Employees Association, Director Huang Yi-Shan of the Taichung Office of the Taiwan Guide God Association, Mr. Yang Cheng-Yu of the Low-Level Floor Bus Advocacy League, and Mr. Chen Wei, a visually impaired friend, were all present. They shared the experiences during the exchange.
unit:綜合企劃科
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