Wheelchair-friendly buses

I was surprised by the news the other day, when i read about the import of the pioneer batch of wheelchair-friendly buses into Singapore. These buses came with hydraulic ramps that made it effortless for people on wheelchairs to be lifted from street level onto the buses.

What surprised me was the decision now to test out these buses at all! Well it was a pleasant surprise of course, and i am glad that Singapore is progresing to be on par with other developed countries in this aspect. I knew these buses were available and already proven operational for years in other developed states like Japan and Germany. A few years ago there were also some public outcries about why a developed country like S'pore wouldn't provide such services to ease the burden of the handicapped populace.

Reasons cited then were that of high costs and that the handicapped population being too small in number to justify the disproportionate investment. However, i believe we cannot be too practical on this issue and keep waiting for the size of the handicapped peopulation to be 'substantial'.

This issue cannot be simply reduced to a matter of statistics. We need to weigh in considerations that if we are striving to bring this sector of the population from the fringes of society back to the mainstream, we should display more genuine gestures. By waiting for the number to be 'substantial', we will be sidelining them meanwhile. This is in contrast to our slogans and messages that tell of wanting to "reintegrate them back into mainstream" society. By holding them back on such a basic provision, we are sending the wrong signal that "we want to help, but only if it is financially feasible". what bull. In this way, our actions do not tally with our slogans and verbal intents at all.

Let's stop being hypocrites or mentally-hanicapped. Much more can definitely be done to provide for these less fortunate people. These people who depend on the wheelchair to move about depend on the bus for everyday transport. Hiring a taxi for those who have to go to work everyday is simply not economically viable. If we do encourage employers to give handicapped people employment opportunites and a chance to prove themselves just as capable, we should complete the package by providing the basic service of public transport for them. Public transport in its generic terms seeks to provide mobility for everyone at large, thus it should not be exclusive to just 'able-bodied' people who do not need a wheelchair. SMRT must indeed be praised for its many efforts at making an MRT experience friendly to all sectors of the population, whether it be the blind, disabled or those with babies. The newly-installed elevators, wide-opening entrance/exit gates have indeed helped embrace sections of the popuulation that are sometimes left behind.

Even our less wealthy Northerly neighbour is more developed than our Lion City in this aspect of provision of services to handicapped people. For example, their national televised news has engaged deaf and dumb translators to translate real-time news to allow deaf and dumb viewers to enjoy news just like everyone elsi. For a long time i have aslo wondered why Singapore hasn't done this. Probably the same reasons have held back the authorities. Well if we can afford to experiment with 2 television comapnies to provide alternative and more varied programmes for vieweres here, we can jolly well afford to hire translators at least for our news programmes for sure.