Published: Thursday December 11, 2008 MYT 1:20:00 PM
Penang to make public transport disabled-friendly by 2010

GEORGE TOWN: Penang will be the first Malaysian state to conduct a full audit of its public transport facilities while it develops a comprehensive blueprint to improve the access and mobility of people with disabilities by 2010.

The initiative to boost the economic and social independence of those with disabilities, will be done through a two-year pilot project by the state’s Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD) to study how to create a barrier free public transportation in Penang.

UNPD Assistant Resident Representative James George Chacko said the “Transport for Persons with Disabilities – Support of the Development of Accessible Transport in Penang” and its access audit on public buses, taxis, trains, ferries and airplanes as well as other infrastructures would lead to the development of a holistic transport improvement strategy that would in turn offer a framework for raising awareness levels in the general public.

“The audit will also look into pick-up points, road pavements and pathways emphasising on inter-connectivity. The findings of this audit will form the basis to develop an accessible public transport improvement master plan.

“The other initiatives to be undertaken in the coming months will include a demand responsive door-to-door transport service in Penang island; capacity building for disabled people in accessing public transportation; disability equality training for front line transport operators; training on access building requirements and universal design for contractors, architects and civil servants; designing a barrier-free bus stop model; and an awareness campaign,” he said at the launching ceremony of the UNPD-UPEN project at Dorsett Penang Hotel on Thursday.

Chacko also said the project was supported by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, and UNPD was confident with the project’s strong rationality, it would receive the necessary financial backing of the Federal Government.

“The project seeks to develop a ‘best practice’ model that we hope can be replicated nationwide,” he added.

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who launched the project, said the state government was also studying the possibility of drawing up a transport master plan and forming a state transport commission to serve as a one-stop agency responsible for planning, implementation and management if all transport issues in Penang.

“The necessary documents are currently being prepared for submission to the state executive council.

“We hope they will be ready by the end of the month or early next month before we start work on formulating the master plan, which we estimate will take one or two years to draw up and implemented,” he said. – Bernama

The Star Metro
Thursday November 13, 2008
Getting in and out of buses a breeze for the disabled
Story and photos by CHARLES FERNANDEZ

FIFTEEN new Nadi Putra buses fitted with special lifters for the disabled or orang kurang upaya (OKU) were recently added to the current fleet of 55 buses servicing Putrajaya.

The newly-introduced buses will display the OKU sticker for easy identification and they come in four colours.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique received the buses on behalf of the Putrajaya Corporation (PJC), witnessed by PJC president Tan Sri Samsuddin Osman, FT Deputy Minister Datuk M. Saravanan and FT Ministry secretary-general Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib.

Boost for disabled: A passenger is being lifted onto the bus.

The lifter is placed at the back door and is controlled by the driver and the whole proceeding is viewed via a CCTV network fitted in the bus.

“Before the delivery of the new buses, Nadi Putra had 55 buses with 51 powered by NGV and four diesel-driven ones. Since June 2006 we use NGV for all buses operating here,’’ said Zulhasnan.

He said the 15 buses would service new housing areas in Precincts 5, 6, 15 and 18 to complement the current fleet of buses running the routes in Precincts 9 and 14.

“However, the numbers are still not enough to satisfy the needs of the residents and working community here who are encouraged to use the ‘Park and Ride’ system already in place,’’ added Zulhasnan.

As for long-term plans, Zulhasnan said the government had approved RM70mil for the purchase of another 104 buses which would be introduced in stages within the next two years.

When asked if the disabled community could use the services for free, Samsuddin said for the moment it was free.

“The fare is already subsided. It is only 50 sen,’’ he said.

Samsuddin added that the number of passengers using the Nadi Putra services had also increased from 100,000 in May last year to 230,000 until the end of October this year.

Panel Discussion 2 – Barrier-Free Built-Environment and Universal Design
(L-R) Puan Khairiah Talha, Mr Patrick Ang, Cik Khairul Nisa bt. Haron, Cik Naziaty Yaacob (Chairperson), Peter Tan, Puan Ch’ng Gaik Bee @ Dalilah Bee Abdullah and Puan Tan Choo Lan.
Photo by Wuan.

My first presentation at the panel session for special interest groups of the 2nd Malaysian Conference on Rehabilitation was titled “Inclusive Environment in Malaysia: From the Perspective of a Wheelchair User.” The main point of the entire presentation is the “Circle of Mobility for Disabled People.”

Circle of Mobility for Disabled People

The concept is very simple. The circle represents the journey from the point of origin to the destination and then from the final destination back to home. The journey includes the built environment which is represented by the line and public transport. The entire journey must be seamless. Any break in between may cause the disabled person to be stranded and unable to complete the journey.

Peter Tan speaking at the 2nd Malaysian Conference on Rehabilitation.
Photo by Wuan.

In Malaysia, the circle is broken in many places. The moment a disabled person gets out from the house, he will be faced with barriers in the built environment. These includes walkways without ramps, walkways littered with street furniture and other obstructions. Public transport is totally inaccessible. That is the reason why many wheelchair users are stuck at home and unable to go out.

The solutions are very simple actually. The government, be they federal, state or local, have the resources and means to resolve this issue. They must also take the blame for allowing this problem to fester until now. The four points for the solution that I presented were:

1. Adopt Universal Design in all future infrastructural developments
2. Enforce UBBL 34A and incorporate MS1331 into relevant legislation
3. Audit Access officers in local governments to implement and enforce UBBL 34A
4. Establish a time-frame to make Malaysia accessible to all

This is the abstract for my presentation:

Abstract
Inclusive Environment In Malaysia:
From The Perspective Of A Wheelchair User

Two important factors determine whether a disabled person becomes home-bound or live a full life outside. One is public transport, the other the built environment. One cannot exist without the other. Neither exists in Malaysia. Some may argue that parts of the built environment have become accessible in recent years. This is true to a certain extent. However, the lack of interconnectivity makes these pockets of accessible heaven another unreachable speck in the horizon for many still. There is an urgent need to impress upon the people responsible for infrastructure that an accessible environment not only provides mobility. It empowers disabled people to become independent and improves their productivity overall. Furthermore, an inclusive environment benefits everyone. What is good for disabled people is good for everyone else. This is a win-win situation for all. This paper presents my experience as a wheelchair user with examples gleaned from the Independent Living movement in Japan.

Below were the topics that my fellow panelists presented:

The Construction Industry’s Role in Facilitating for Social Inclusion
Puan Tan Choo Lan
Bahagian Kawalan Bangunan, Jabatan Kerajaan Tempatan,
Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia

Barrier-Free City Kuala Lumpur
Puan Ch’ng Gaik Bee @ Dalilah Bee Abdullah
Architect, Architect’s Department,
Kuala Lumpur City Hall

Barrier Free City Petaling Jaya
Cik Khairul Nisa bt. Haron
Assistant Director/Planner, Development Planning Department,
Petaling Jaya City Council, Selangor

Collaborating with the Local Authority in Achieving Barrier-free City, Singapore
Mr. Patrick Ang
Level Field Consultants
Singapore

Do We Need Legislative Changes Before We Care?
Puan Khairiah Talha
Secretary General, Eastern Regional Organization for Planning and Human Settlements (EAROPH)