Disabled protest

Taking turns to address a crowd of some 60 people, a group of disabled Singaporeans urged the authorities to hear their plea for transport subsidy.

“What is the point of providing accessibility at MRT stations when there is no subsidy?” asked one speaker. They said transport subsidy will go a long way to provide mobility for them, most of whom are in the low-paying jobs.

Another speaker was 37-year old social worker Mr Wong U-Wen. A deaf, Mr Wong used sign language to articulate his views on the need for transport subsidy.

He said: “Because the government does not believe in a welfare system, disabled persons face the economic hardship. The costs of living standards are pretty high, I mean crazy. I think the government needs to cut down on our transport costs.”

The half-hour event, organised by social activist Mr Ravi Philemon, ended with a petition signing asking the authorities to consider subsidizing their transport costs.

Link: SG Politics

Petition for lower fares for the disabled

10 years - and still no public transport subsidy for disabled

The fight for transport concessions is not likely to be easy though. SMRT operator’s reply to Reena in 2000 was: we have to be “prudent about extending any travel concessions beyond the present eligible groups” because “concession fares are cross-subsidized by full-fare paying passengers with no direct subsidy”. In short, SMRT’s reply was ‘no’.

Read the entire article here: The Online Citizen

Online Petition for Transport Subsidy for the Challenged People

Support our Online Petition here: iPetitions

SBS looks into lower fares for disabled

Meanwhile, an advocacy group which calls itself Challengeds' Alliance Network is petitioning the Ministry of Transport for concession fares or free travel on public transport.

The petition was started by telemarketeer Rethinasamy Rajasvari, 50, who is blind in one eye. Signatures will be collected at a gathering at Hong Lim Park at 5pm tomorrow.

Asked for her reaction to SBS Transit's planned move, she said: 'It'd be wonderful if they offer it.'

Read entire Straits Times article here: SBS looks into lower fares for the disabled

Shin Min Daily Report

Overcoming fear and misinformation - Give us our dignity!

We don’t want to sign the petition”, says John (not his real name). John and Ryan (not his real name either), are visually handicapped (blind) buskers. They try to sell tissue-papers to the passers-by at various Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations.

“We don’t earn much,” says John, “maybe about $15 or $20 every month”. “Of course there are a lot of people passing by, but they are blind to us or maybe we are invisible to them”, he adds.

When asked why he would not support the petition, John says, “Our association will be upset with us, or the government will be upset with us. And anyway, we sometimes get free bus rides to the MRT stations when we show our card.”


However, the card is not a concession card but merely a form of identification, and the visually handicapped would have to pay full fares when the driver asks them to do so. Ryan, who says that he is aware of that, adds, “Our social worker has told us to just pay when the driver asks us to pay.”

John, who identified Reena, the Challenged Alliance Network! (CAN!) Coordinator, said, “We are glad that you are brave enough to fight for this. Although we (John and Ryan) will not sign the petition, we wish you all the best”.

Read the rest of the article here: The Online Citizen