CAPE TOWN– A group of people from various disability organisations gathered outside the Cape Town Civic Centre today (25 August), calling on the City to reconsider its decision to severely limit its Dial-a-Ride services.
From Monday 8 September, the service will only be available to eligible wheelchair users and people with severe walking impairments.
Armed with placards and chanting, “We want Dial-a-Ride” the group made sure their demands were heard with passing cars hooting in support of the group’s course.
They handed over a memorandum of demands to Rob Quintas, Mayco member for urban mobility.
According to the City, the decision comes as a result of budget constraints. However, protesters say the move discriminates against persons with disabilities.
A group of people from various organisations supporting people with disabilities held a protest outside the Civic Centre on Monday 25 August. Photo: Kaylynne Bantom 
Marlene le Roux, co-founder of the Women’s Achievement Network for Disability and chief executive officer of the Artscape Theatre, address the crowd. She is joined by Rob Quintas, Mayco member for urban mobility and Michelle Botha, a member of the Western Cape Network on Disability. Photo: Kaylynne Bantom
In a recent press statement, the City said it can no longer “sustain an ever-expanding demand”.
According to the City, the current average cost per trip is R737, with a cost recovery of only 3%
It said each user contributes around R22 per trip, while the City contributes approximately R515 and the Western Cape Government R200.
“To put this in perspective, transporting a single user who travels 21 days a month amounts to roughly R31 000 per month, or R371 000 per year,” read the statement.
A protester, who doesn’t wish to be named said: “Dial-a-Ride stood as a beacon of hope, a dependable service that said ‘You matter and you belong’ but come September the city will cast those words aside and dismiss thousands of disable people as invisible.
“If you aren’t fortunate enough to hold a job, you don’t exist. At the same time the city is investing billions in transport but not for us.”
Marlene le Roux, co-founder of the Women’s Achievement Network for Disability and chief executive officer of the Artscape Theatre, said: “We need to be taken serious as persons with disabilities we can’t just have policies that’s not been implemented. We need to be treated with dignity. Money should be made available for accessible transport. Accessible transport is not just about accessible buses.”
Speaking to People’s Post Quintas said he understands the frustration and said they will review the demands made in the memorandum.
Quintas said he will be meeting with members from various organisation supporting people with disabilities on Tuesday 26 August.
