Acknowledgements endorsements Background methodology executive Summary 11 Recommendations 22 Article — general obligations 38

Barriers to Public transport

145. 
     There are no other current commitments in the NDS to address access to public transport aside from the DSAPT. However, despite the DSAPT being in force for ten years, people with disability continue to experience significant barriers to transport, which affects their ability to live independently and participate fully in society raising issues under Articles 19, 20, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29 and 30.
     
146. 
     Many people with disability report that it is not easy for them to use public transport from where they live.⁷⁰
     

Case Study

“I would like to use public transport more, but bus lines are not fully accessible and often don’t advertise accessible buses on their schedules. Trains are accessible but the whole train system in Melbourne isn’t good. Accessible trams are still rare and are only changing slowly. Taxis are unreliable and often late.”⁷¹

147. 
     Accessible transport is particularly an issue in remote communities where large distances, social isolation and being unable to afford or drive a private vehicle only serves to amplify transportation accessibility deficiencies when there are no alternatives for people with disability.⁷²
     
148. 
     Taxi services do not provide access to people with disability on terms that are equal to other members of the public, and accessible taxis do not match the reliability, availability and quality of service offered to the general public.⁷³
     
149. 
     Domestic airlines provide inconsistent access to air services and aircraft. Each domestic airline operator imposes their own independent travel criteria, which can limit the number of people requiring special assistance per flight (such as people who require the use and carriage of a wheelchair); and can require a person with disability to be accompanied by a carer if they require assistance in boarding and de-boarding aircraft.⁷⁴
     

Case Study

One passenger was allowed to travel independently on one part of their journey and then was refused independent travel for the return journey, requiring the passenger’s mother to fly and meet him to travel as his carer. As one person with disability noted about the inconsistent application of airline independent travel criteria “that leaves us in the unacceptable position of having to purchase air tickets — hundreds of dollars — on a lottery basis, with no assurance that we will actually be allowed to board a flight and reach our destinations, or even that the tickets will be refunded if we are denied travel”.⁷⁵