Question No 467
Mr M S F de Freitas (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:
Whether there are any (a) plans, (b) timeframes and (c) deadlines that have been set to accommodate special needs passengers using the railways; if not, why not; if so, how much has been budgeted for the (i) establishment and (ii) provision of service to special needs passengers?
Reply:
The Minister of Transport:
(a), (b) and (c) (i) and (ii)
Yes, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has a policy in place for Special Needs Passengers (SNP), which entails the identification of specific stations per region that would be universally accessible to all passengers. PRASA has already identified and refurbished the following stations that are accessible to SNP: Mandalay, Lenteguer, Tembisa, Doornfontein, Stretford and Ikwezi. These stations provide total accessibility and total service to passengers with special needs. PRASA is working closely with the National Council for People with Disabilities in South Africa and other organisations with a view to developing and further refining the concept of universal accessibility to rail transport.
All the new or upgraded stations are being made SNP friendly with the required ramps and lifts at a cost of R33 million. To date the following stations have been modified accordingly: Mandalay, Phillipi, Cape Town, Tembisa, Lentegeur, Mabopane, Stretford, Ikwezi, Daveyton, Nasrec, Doornfontein, Duff Road, Reunion, Isipingo and Clairwood, Monteleur, Lindokuhle, Amanzimtoti and Rossburgh.
The PRASA policy contains the following fundamental premises:
* A passenger with special needs (a Special Needs Passenger) is fit to travel independently on a journey given that the transport system is able to cater for their special needs.
* Travel by special needs passengers depends upon the entire travel chain being accessible. PRASA will thus seek partnerships with local authorities to improve the entire travel chain of which travel by commuter rail forms part.
* A Special Needs Passenger is to be able to enjoy similar ease of access, comfort and dignity as any other passenger, i.e. a total service.
* A measure of one component of the total service is the Level of Facility which shall be developed in partnership with the South African Federal Council on Disability.
* In the long term the entire commuter rail system is to be accessible to all special needs passengers.
* In the medium term, a priority network for special needs passengers will be developed on which special needs passengers can travel with dignity and with confidence that they can complete their journey.
* Issues relating to the safety and capacity of the commuter rail system are addressed by another process.
* PRASA will develop and refine this policy to take into consideration the comments of organisations that add value to the quality of service provided.
Issued by: Department of Transport
10 September 2009
