Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) congratulates Uber and the Victorian Government for introducing subsidised Uber fares for people eligible for the multipurpose taxi program following a successful pilot last year. The organisation urges other state governments to follow Victoria’s lead to ensure all Australians with disability have access to affordable door to door transport.
Emma Bennison, CEO of BCA, explains that reliable, timely and affordable transport options are essential for Australians with disability and particularly those who are blind or vision impaired.
“Many of our members routinely access taxi subsidy schemes in their respective states. Affordable door to door transport is a non-negotiable imperative for people who are blind or vision impaired to safely and efficiently access the community. Reliable transport options allow people with disability to contribute to society without the stress of prohibitive transport costs,” she said.
“Public transport is often not a viable option to travel to activities, visit family and friends, or commute to employment on a regular basis due to the length of time it can take to travel, and the extra anxiety caused by the uncertainties which can often occur due to unreliability of public transport, including sudden changes in timetables or announcements not being reliably made about stops or stations being approached.”
Ms Bennison says BCA is keen to collaborate with other state governments to ensure that all Australians eligible for taxi subsidy programs have the same options now available to Victorians.
“Having the added flexibility of hiring an Uber at an affordable price levels the playing field, offering the choice of ride all consumers enjoy to people with disability. This sets a positive precedent, and we look forward to working with other state governments to implement similar processes.”
For more information please contact:
Kathie Elliott
Media Relations
Blind Citizens Australia
Phone: 0439 724 304
Email: kathie.elliott@bca.org.au