KUCHING: It is high time that public transportation for the disabled be made available here, given that the city will host the Paralympics next year.
Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah believed that it would be a good idea to set up taxi or van services to cater to the disabled, as many paralympic athletes would be coming down here for the games.
“I hope the relevant authorities would cooperate in terms of permits and licences for those wanting to set up disabled-friendly transportation. They include Breakthrough Network Centre and House of Joy, which are NGOs (non-government organisations) that want to help the disabled by implementing the ‘Barrier Free Taxi Project’ in Kuching,” she said after receiving a courtesy visit by the NGOs at her office on Friday.
The Barrier Free Taxi Project involves providing transportation that is modified to accommodate disabled passengers, which includes motorised ramps to lift wheelchairs into vehicles.
“We are supportive of the project and hope relevant agencies could give their full support and cooperation,” Fatimah said.
Apart from that, other facilities for the disabled also include different tiles on pavements for the blind, as well as traffic lights with sound mechanisms that inform them when it is safe to cross the road.
These proposed facilities are in line with efforts to make Kuching a disabled-friendly city.