• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Overcoming fear and misinformation – give us our dignity!

by onlinecitizen
22/05/2009
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0

Next on TOC: About 3 weeks after 16 activists were arrested in May, 1987, the man accused of being the mastermind – Tan Wah Piow – published a book to refute the government’s allegations. That’s next on TOC. Stay tuned!

Ravi Philemon

“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”.

Fear is a factor encountered by the team who are trying to garner support for the petition for public transport subsidy for the challenged people.  “I have had people who have phoned me to demand that I drop this campaign because it is not supported by the associations. Yet others have said that they are afraid that they will be marked because this is anti-government or because we are fighting for our rights.  It is one thing to fight for your rights and quite another to ask for your rights.” 

Misinformation is another huge obstacle the team faces as they try to garner sufficient support. “I have had people who call me and tell me to drop the petition saying that anyways [sic] we get to ride for ‘free’ on the buses. And when I remind them we are actually at the ‘mercy of the drivers’ when we ride for free and that this does not apply when we take the train, because there is no driver to be at his mercy, the person said that handicapped people actually are discouraged from taking the train because it is not safe for them.”

Reena, who notes that public transport has become more and more disabled-accessible over the years, says that public transportation should not only be about accessibility for the disabled but should also be disabled-friendly. 

Mr. Edmund Wan, the former Executive Director of Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped who has lobbied for this cause, recommends a concessionary scheme because the majority of handicapped people fall into the lowest strata of earning power. 

Reena notes the tremendous support the call for concessionary support for the disabled has gotten from the likes of Mr. Gerard Ee, the President of Public Transport Council, Judy Wee the secretary of Singapore Disabled People’s Association and Nancy Chia, the head of Handicaps Welfare Association, who reportedly said in the Straits Times article : “If the elderly, school children and NSmen can have concession, why not the handicapped? They are generally lower-income people who rely on public transport”.  

But Reena has some pertinent questions for the transport providers:

1.     Although she welcomes SBS Transit’s statement that they are looking into offering concession fares to commuters with physical disabilities, why is it that subsidy is only being considered for the physically disabled and not all the disabled?

2.     Why the need for staggering the concession, first to buses and only at a later stage to trains?

3.     Why is SMRT a major public transport operator in Singapore silent on this topic?

Reena who has been asking for concessionary public transportation for the disabled for the last ten years says, “We are not asking for a free ride.  Give us our dignity!”

———————-

Support the disabled people in their call for Concessionary Public Transportation for the Disabled.

Speakers’ Corner (Hong Lim Park)

23rd May 2009 @ 5pm

http://challengedsalliancenetwork.blogspot.com/

—-

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.
Tags: poorPublic transportsbsSMRT

Related Posts

Signalling faults cause delay on Circle Line during morning rush hour
Current Affairs

Signalling faults cause delay on Circle Line during morning rush hour

21/05/2021
Australian public TV suspends use of China state media shows
International

Australian public TV suspends use of China state media shows

05/03/2021
Current Affairs

SMRT: Disruption on train services caused by power cable insulation breakdown

15/10/2020
Current Affairs

SMS Chee Hong Tat and LTA met with Bukit Panjang MPs and residents on “possible mitigation measures” over changes to bus services

10/08/2020
Comments

Residents question decision to cease operations and amending bus services at Bukit Panjang

05/08/2020
Current Affairs

NTWU appeals against the dismissal of two SMRT drivers

19/09/2016
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Malaysian court sentences man to 1,050 years’ jail, 24 strokes of the cane, for raping stepdaughter 105 times

Thai court jails activist for 28 years jail for royal defamation

26/01/2023
Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

26/01/2023
KKH’s lack of continuous monitoring baby’s vital signs “was not ideal”, said State Coroner

KKH’s lack of continuous monitoring baby’s vital signs “was not ideal”, said State Coroner

26/01/2023
Dozens of COVID protesters still behind bars in China: HRW

Dozens of COVID protesters still behind bars in China: HRW

26/01/2023
8 dead, including 6 Chinese nationals, after ship sinks near Japan

8 dead, including 6 Chinese nationals, after ship sinks near Japan

26/01/2023
“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

Nurse disabled permanently after vaccine injury and sacked by SGH; Did the hospital advise her to apply for VIFAP?

26/01/2023
Man and 2-year-old daughter fell into hole in bridge at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, “seconds away from drowning”

Man and 2-year-old daughter fell into hole in bridge at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, “seconds away from drowning”

26/01/2023
Ruling on Trump ban marks defining moment for Facebook panel

Meta says Trump to be allowed back on Facebook, Instagram

26/01/2023

Trending posts

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
27

...

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
26

...

Overcoming fear and misinformation – give us our dignity!

by onlinecitizen
22/05/2009
0

...

“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

AGC asked to explain purposes of 68 private letters of inmates illegitimately forwarded to prosecutors

by The Online Citizen
21/01/2023
16

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
34

...

“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

Has HDB flats become “more affordable” by “selling” at a shorter lease of 50-years?

by Leong Szehian
25/01/2023
18

...

May 2009
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Apr   Jun »
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
  • Contact Us

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

wpDiscuz