Bus fare waived for wheelchair users

Public transport provider Arriva is not contractually bound to provide concessionary fares for disabled people but wheelchair users are being allowed to travel for free on the new buses, which are all low-floor.

The Transport Ministry and Arriva clarified the situation yesterday following questions raised by organisations representing disabled persons.

The National Parents’ Society of Persons with Disability and the Down Syndrome Association have both questioned the lack of reduced fares for disabled commuters, while the National Commission Persons with Disability is in favour of reductions for people in possession of the special identity card it issues.

A Transport Ministry spokesman said Arriva was not contractually bound to provide different prices for disabled people. He said that introducing discounted tickets for them would imply a change in the subsidy funding for the transport provider. The current subsidy rate was set in agreement with the Finance Ministry and any changes required its approval.

However, he said a request for reduced fares would be submitted to this ministry in the normal course of budgetary reviews.

“The cost of ensuring an entirely wheelchair-accessible fleet, of introducing audible on-board announcements and of ensuring accessibility standards in the service is reflected in the subsidy we already pay,” the spokesman added.

The conditions imposed on the operator included the provision of low-floor steps, audio notification of arrival at bus stops, accessible ticketing machines and priority seating near doors.

“The new service does not affect in a negative manner disabled public transport users when compared to the older service and no specific discounts to disabled people on fares were available in the older, less accessible, service.

“Since there is no such additional burden it is hard to argue for additional compensation especially considering the effort made and the cost paid to ensure that the service provided is accessible to all,” the Ministry spokesman insisted.

An Arriva spokesman said fares were regulated by Transport Malta and the company was not obliged to offer further concessionary fares.

However, he said that in the interests of passenger safety, disabled people who require use of a wheelchair can travel free of charge on all services.

This was “to enable such passengers to focus on safely boarding themselvesand facilitate the safe positioning and securing of their wheelchair in the space allocated for wheelchairs”.

Disabled commuters have also called for an audit of the pavement infrastructure, saying the lack of dropped kerbs and position of bus stop poles obstructed access.

The Transport Ministry said that as part of the reform, infrastructure instalments put in place this year were more accessible and included kerb heights that allowed for unassisted boarding and alighting of people with wheelchairs and mobility problems.

A large number of bus stops and shelters had been installed before the reform, and while it was desirable to make all bus stops accessible, this required surveying and remedial works done to over 1,800 locations.

“Pavements and bus stops are now built to accessibility standards but replacing all that is not accessible will not happen overnight and is not a problem that has been caused because bus transport has been upgraded,” the ministry said.