Lava Flow

Able-bodied are too demanding too.

I refer to Mr. Gary Seet Ann Hup's comments "Disabled too demanding", Oct 10.

Yes, there's no doubt wheelchair users would need more time to board and alight buses. If and only if there are more considerate and selfless passengers who would not jam up the front portion and entrance of the bus when there are plenty of space towards the rear end.

We have seen "precious minutes wasted" at bus-stops when some passengers just refuse to move their butts and thus slow down the boarding and alighting times. Does this mean that the masses are being delayed just because many of the "able-bodied" are not considerate and thoughtful enough? Before we point any finger at the wheelchair users and claim that they would delay us, lets do some serious self-reflection first.

And how many Singaporeans are willing to step forward to form the pool service as Mr. Seet suggested? I would take it that Mr. Seet would be one of the first.

It's not only about the wheelchair users. Those using crutches, walking sticks and other forms of walking aids, not to forget some senior citizens, tend to take a longer time, than the young and healthy "able-bodied", to board and alight buses. And there are also those who have been injured, during accidents and falls, and so require the assistance of crutches temporarily. So are we going to suggest that all these individuals are "too demanding" too?

We cannot and must not "penalise" the wheelchair users just because they have to move and travel around in their wheelchairs for the rest of their lives. Instead, it should be fair that they could enjoy the same privileges and service as the rest of us.

Perhaps we should be more innovative in finding solutions to solve all these "problems". How about a bus with a automatic ramp-loader at the rear to serve their needs? Or an escalator system onboard the bus to serve all the passengers so that we can rest our aching legs after a tiring day at work.

Afterall, we pride ourselves to have world-class educational institutes and universities, and reowned researchers and research programmes. I'm pretty sure that there would not be much difficulty in devising some smart technical gadgets/systems to allow wheelchair users to enjoy the public bus service and yet offer no or minimal delay to other passengers.

While we are attempting to improve the service standards in Singapore, don't leave out the group of less privileged and disabled.

Cannot expect same services as able-bodied

Letter from Gary Seet Ann Hup

I refer to the news comment, "Hold the bus, is someone being left behind?" (Oct 7). While I agree with integrating the disabled into the community, I don't agree with altering public buses to suit their needs.

The SMRT and Land Transport Authority (LTA) have already retrofitted our trains and train stations to make them accessible to people who use wheelchairs. The question is how to get these people to the stations from where they are, be it from their homes, workplaces or anywhere else.

The solution cannot be to retrofit public buses to accommodate them.

So as not to be labelled insensitive, let me explain. The LTA has introduced bus lanes and the public bus operators have set their schedules to make travelling by bus as smooth as possible and to move the masses as quickly as possible.

Like it or not, any delay has a cost in terms of longer travel times. Wheelchair users would need more time to board and alight from buses and this would hold up other passengers.

Being patient and understanding is one thing. Being late for work because of it is another.

Wheelchair-users should be "connected" to a pick-up service. Ideally, it should be a taxi service which takes them to the nearest MRT station and/or from the MRT station to their final destination.

Of course, this would cost them more than an able-bodied person pays to take the bus. If this system could be integrated into the taxi booking system it could be better administered and, perhaps, lower the cost.

Alternatives include setting up a pool of volunteers who could offer their services when needed. I'm not advocating a taxi service as fares might be quite hefty.

One has to take into account that, realistically, wheelchair-users cannot expect to be as mobile as able-bodied people.

To think otherwise would be akin to a poor person wanting to have whatever a rich person has. What a society can do is try to remove as many obstacles as possible.