Malaysiakini: PETPOSITIVE PERSPECTIVE - Make Bus Fares FOC For Disabled Malaysians

Bus fares: Fully exempt the disabled
Anthony Siva Balan Thanasayan| Feb 11, 08 3.32pm

Petpositive is relieved and happy that Rapid KL and Rapid Penang have both decided to accept identification cards for disabled citizens issued by the Social Welfare Department in order for them to qualify for discounted bus fares.

We are especially delighted that the elderly can also have access to discounted rates for their travel by producing their MyKads as announced by Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop last week.

The move to accept the government-issued ID cards will now make life for the handicapped much easier and more sensible. This will create even more incentive now for those who have not registered as disabled to do so in order for them to enjoy discounted bus fares.

Having said that however, we are puzzled as to why the handicapped are being charged at all for using Rapid’s services.

This when you consider the fact that the disabled are currently given full discounts when they apply for road tax, international passports and public hospital treatment all upon just producing their disabled ID cards.

Furthermore, it seems highly improper to us that after having been denied access to public buses for over half a century because of society’s neglect, we should even think of slapping the disabled with fees overnight.

Most disabled people have no jobs. They are unemployed mainly because they can’t get to their places of work because they have never been able to take our public buses.

Another compelling reason why Rapid should not charge the disabled for now is because its current buses equipped for wheelchairs are not fully disabled-friendly. They are also dangerous to the user as well.

There are various types of buses available today -which are much more disabled user-friendly and safe for handicapped and elderly passengers. RapidKL and Rapid Penang should make these buses available to us instead.

Only until Rapid can get all of this right and when the disabled are on par with the rest of our citizens in terms of rights and equal access, should the bus company start to charge the handicapped.

The writer is president, Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

Look At What The Cat . . . Pardon!, The Rat Brought In!

PETPOSITIVE UPDATE:

The Year of the Rat has got our PET+BLOGSPOT interactive!

From now on, on the sidebar (right-hand section) you will have a chance to immediately share with us your feedback. The best part is it's quick, easy and short. N U dun have 2 worry abt spelling or grammar (C wat I mean?) As long as we understand you, it's ok!

Tell us what you think. Remember though, that only 20 messages will be stored in one time. The rest will get deleted automatically.

PET+BLOGSPOT will try to transport the best messages into this section so that it can be documented.

We begin with our best messages for this week. It is from our regular commentator Stanislaus Anthony who is also disabled and resides in Petaling Jaya. He wrote two messages:

WELFARE CARD FOR RAPID BUSES

1# The 2nd Finance Minister's good news that the welfare card can now be used for travel on Rapid buses is only like giving the rat the cheese & not allowing it to eat it i.e. can travel with disabled card but must pay half.

We the OKU are not given allowance by the caring BN government, nobody want to employ us, where to get money to travel? Does the caring government want the OKU just to stay at home?
This is not what the Disability Act that was passed in the parliament was about or should be.

2# Anthony your article in the wheel power in The Star even got the 2nd Finance Minister to get Rapid to use the Welfare Dept. Disabled Identification Card.

This makes a lot easier for the OKU instead of them holding on to many cards. Even when I applied for a Rapid Card previously, I was rejected even though I possess a Welfare Card.

AND HERE'S A SAMPLING OF OUR PETPOSITIVE CHATBOX:

10 Feb 08, 14:59 aNt: Also wonder when Rapid will allow service animals 2 accompany disabled too?

10 Feb 08, 14:54 aNt: N how to pay when no job lah? Let all disabled get job first N then RapidKL & Penang start charging. Like in 2020?

10 Feb 08, 14:52 aNt: ya, N don't know Y they charging cos bus isn't suitable 4 wheelchairs. I say, get it perfectly right first B4 charge

10 Feb 08, 14:51 aNt: Tks Jackudut.

10 Feb 08, 14:50 Jackudut: About the 50% discount, i think is GOOD but, they really need to make sure all the facilities for OKU are really in place otherwise please do not charge this people with any cents!

10 Feb 08, 14:48 Jackudut: to encouraging people for visiting Pet+ blog. Well done!

10 Feb 08, 14:03 aNt: hEY GUYS, how 'bout rating our Blog? Look for the Owl in this sidebar section asking "R U Serious" and then CLICK

10 Feb 08, 13:10 aNt: "Purr-positive"? That's a good one!

10 Feb 08, 13:09 aNt: Tks MM. And to think that our poor primates almost ended up being exported for cooking pots around the world!

10 Feb 08, 13:07 MM: Sorry. That should have been PETPOSITIVE , maybe my brain wanted to write "Purrpositive" ?

10 Feb 08, 13:02 MM: Love the picture of the monkey cuddling the dog, that is really universal love. We can learn a lot from animals. Keep up the good work Perpositive.

10 Feb 08, 12:55 aNt: Latest feedback frm friends @ Sign Language Interpreters for Deaf (SID), they're elated that Govt IDs can be used. Deaf one of the most affected.

9 Feb 08, 23:16 aNt: Agree wit U totally abt free travel and unversal designs MM. Tks 4 sharing

9 Feb 08, 21:43 MM: Yes, Ant, good news for the disabled and elderly, but it is a small discount, free travel should be the thing to fight for. Access to anywhere and every where for all and unversal design are the goals

9 Feb 08, 21:39 aNt: Let's start the ball rolling by giving us yr feedback on RapidKL's discount. Do you think 50% is fair or shld B totally free?

9 Feb 08, 21:21 aNt: Hi Everybody, welcome to our brand new chatbox which gives us the opportunity to be more interactive with YOU. Tell us what U think.

The Star: ID Cards For Disabled By Welfare Dept OK

By K. SUTHAKAR

PENANG: Effective Monday, senior citizens and the disabled registered with the Social Welfare Department need only show the identification cards issued by the department when travelling on Rapid Penang and RapidKL buses to get a 50% discount.

To reduce red tape, the Government has done away with the requirement for them to apply for the Rapid Card, issued by the companies.

“We want to simplify things. It is sufficient for them to show the card issued by the department to obtain the 50% ticket concession," said Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

He was speaking to reporters at the St Nicholas' Home here on Saturday.

Rapid Penang chief executive officer Azhar Ahmad, who was with him, said it takes about two weeks for the company to process each card application.

He said about 10,000 senior citizens and 400 disabled people travelled daily on Rapid Penang buses.

Nor Mohamed said the problems that prompted the one-day strike by Rapid Penang bus drivers last Monday had been resolved.

“It is a small problem. When there is a problem, we look at it positively and resolve the matter quickly,” he said.

Thousands of bus commuters rushing for work and last-minute Chinese New Year shopping were left stranded on Tuesday when the drivers brought transport to a standstill.

RapidKL & RapidPenang: Where's The Rest Of The Cheese?

BREAKING NEWS!

RapidKL and RapidPenang buses to accept government ID of disabled and elderly passengers to qualify them for 50% discount on their fares from Monday!

The news above was reported in The Star's SMS News Alert Service this afternoon.

The full story, I reckon, will be out in the media tomorrow.

Finally the bus company has relented and did the right thing - even if it was only giving us half of the cheese.

Readers may recall me writing in Wheel Power (Why The Silence) two weeks ago as to how unfair it was when the Deaf were being forced by the Rapid to sign up with five local disability NGOs first if they wanted to enjoy discounts on their service.

Many disabled people saw red with Rapid's red tape. They were cross that the bus company refused to accept their disabled IDs given by the Government as a valid document.

At least now thank God that RapidKL and Penang have got it right.

It is the Government's document which should be the proper and valid credential for disabled Malaysians to get discounts in their travel.

But there are other problems still.

PETPOSITIVE receives the above news with mixed feelings.

Bus fares ought really to be given to disabled Malaysians FREE OF CHARGE, as what some overseas countries do today for their special community.

We don't have to be rocket scientists to realise that the handicapped in our country are the poorest of the poor.

Most have no jobs - so on what basis or understanding did RapidKL and RapidPenang decide on when they came up with the move to charge the handicapped.

This is what we would like to know.

How can they pay when they have no jobs is the elementary question, I guess that the Great Sherlock Holmes would ask his Dr Watson.

By giving a full waiver, Rapid would have played an intergral part in helping the disabled who have been left behind for too long, slowly catch up with the rest of the citizens.

Well, for now at least, the Rat has certainly brought the cheese to the disabled community.

The other half of the dairy treat is really to make it totally complimentary.

Can we expect another miracle?

PET+BLOGSPOT!

PS Check out The Mindful Mariner's comments on the issue.

Also Talk Only.