There are no plans for new Penang bus service operator RapidPenang to bring in disabled-friendly buses, leaving a coalition of disabled groups fuming.

Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (Beat) said the move contradicts earlier assurances by the Transport Ministry in the Public Transport Master Plan and the Finance Ministry, that the initial batch of 150 buses would be disabled-friendly.

RapidPenang is a subsidiary of RapidKL, a Klang Valley-based bus operator under Prasarana Negara Bhd, the investment arm of the Finance Ministry.

Early this month however, Penang exco member and Penang Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairperson Dr Teng Hock Nam sang a different tune.

"For the time being, we will not be having special buses for the disabled who use wheelchairs," said Teng according to the Star on April 4.

'Don't repeat mistake'

In a press conference on the matter today, Beat assistant co-ordinator V Murugeswaran (left) said some of RapidKL's subsidiaries such as Star LRT, are still disabled-friendly after 13 years of operation.

"We don't want RapidPenang to make the same mistake," he said, adding that RapidKL not acquiring disabled-friendly buses from the onset as another example.
Several members of Beat noted that it was "strange" during the press conference that RapidKL was rolling out more disabled-friendly low-floor single-step entry buses but RapidPenang was reluctant to take the same approach.

Beat co-ordinator Christine Lee said plans were already underway to make the upcoming Penang Monorail project disabled friendly and it would only be logical for RapidPenang to do the same.

"If feeder buses cannot take us to and fro from the monorail, it is pointless. We would be stranded either way," said Lee.

Elaborating, Lee said that the buses required were not costly and it would benefit the elderly, those with walking difficulties, pregnant women and individuals with baby prams.

"RapidPenang should look at the needs of all these people at an early stage so they can plan ahead," she added.

Discrimination

Another Beat member Mohd Fairuz said transport planners must use the number of disabled people, estimated to be 10 percent of the nation's population, as a criteria for not having disabled-friendly facilities.

The group argued that should RapidPenang not acquire disable friendly buses, it is tantamount to an act of discrimination and violation of rights to all Penangites to accessible public transport.

"We hope Penang will learn from the mistakes in other states and come to a sensible decision and one that will benefit everyone," said the group in a written statement distributed to reporters.

Previously the group had held talks with Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy which was attended by representatives from Malaysia Airport Bhd, Air Asia, RapidKL and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd.