Persons with disabilities living in Harare are calling on the government to provide accessible public transport for persons with disabilities, reports 263chat.
The government introduced a fleet of buses, which seem to be failing to meet the demands of commuters as characterized by long queues at bus terminal.
Persons with disabilities have called on the government to at least make sure the transport system is all inclusive such that people with disabilities can also access the services.
“The buses are not accessible. They do not provide for an effective support system that caters the needs of people with disabilities” said Rights Group.
“The bus terminal and the buses are not disability friendly.” said Silvestor Kambara, a vendor
“It is like we do not exist. Everything about these buses is not user friendly for people like us. There is no ramp to support us when embarking into the bus, you have to find someone to carry you into the bus. It ends up seeming like a burden, because after enduring the long hours on the queue, people want to go home. No-one wants to wait for a person in a wheel-chair to take time getting on the bus,” Kambara said.
Disability Network, an organisation that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities says although it was a well embraced move by government to introduce the Zupco buses, much needs to be done to support the needs of people with disabilities in Zimbabwe.
