Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on Friday conducted an in loco inspection of various modes of transport in the Tshwane City Region to promote the availability of public transport for people with disabilities.
“Wheelchair friendly Gautrain platforms and A Re Yeng buses, sound enabled traffic lights as well as tactile pavements are a good start but more must be done to provide safe, convenient and affordable transport for the differently abled.
“Mindfulness of people with disabilities must find expression in the entire transport ecosystem, throughout all the modes in rural and urban areas,” the Minister said.
The Minister rode on the Gautrain, an A Re Yeng bus and a taxi to highlight the availability of public transport for people with disabilities.
He commended the development of infrastructure that promotes universal accessibility but added that more still needs to be done.
The Minister also took part in the White Cane March, blindfolded, to highlight the transport challenges faced by the visually impaired.
The Minister was joined by Tshwane Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa, Tshwane Member of the Mayoral Committee for Roads and Transport, Sheila Lynn Senkubuge and officials from Blind SA. -SAnews.gov.za
