In Worcester, Suid-Afrika se Sorgstad, maak minibustaxi\u2019s wat parkeerplek beset wat vir mense met gestremdhede gereserveer is, die lewe moeilik vir personeel en kli\u00ebnte van die Breedevallei-vereniging vir Mense met Gestremdhede. <\/p>\n
Michelle Vos, die vereniging se kantoorhoof, deel haar frustrasies oor hoe di\u00e9 probleem van meer as \u2019n dekade die daaglikse bedrywighede be\u00efnvloed.<\/p>\n
Die situasie het begin toe taxi\u2019s die parkeerruimtes vir gestremdes in Kerkhofstraat beset het, wat dit moeilik maak vir ouers om hul gestremde kinders af te laai sonder om deur taxi-bestuurders ge\u00efntimideer te word. <\/p>\n
Die vereniging het selfs \u2019n omheining opgerig om te verhoed dat taxi\u2019s te naby aan hul gebou parkeer, maar die taxi\u2019s het die heining se pale uit die grond gery en reeds R90 000 se skade veroorsaak.<\/p>\n
\u2019n Maand gelede het \u2019n inbraak plaasgevind nadat die heining erg beskadig is, wat die veiligheid van die vereniging verder in gedrang bring. Die elektriese heining moes ook al sewe keer in vyf maande herstel word weens skade deur die taxi\u2019s. <\/p>\n
Die vereniging, wat reeds finansi\u00eble druk ervaar n\u00e1 \u2019n verlies van \u2019n kwartmiljoenrand en \u2019n besnoeiing van finansiering deur die departement van maatskaplike ontwikkeling, vind dit moeilik om die voortdurende skade te bekostig.<\/p>\n
Vos het verskeie pogings aangewend om die situasie op te los, insluitend kommunikasie met die taxi-vereniging en die Breedevallei-munisipaliteit (BVM), maar sonder sukses. Die vereniging se versoek om \u2019n deel van die parkeerruimte in Kerkhofstraat te koop of te huur is afgekeur weens \u2019n stormwaterpyp onder die grond.<\/p>\n
Die frustrasie word vererger deur die feit dat taxibestuurders die parkeerruimte as \u2019n wasplek gebruik, dagga rook en urineer voor die vereniging se finansi\u00eble kantoor en vullis in die vereniging se tuin los. Vos is selfs met die dood gedreig en haar jeug word deur kwaai taxi-bestuurders ge\u00efntimideer.<\/p>\n
Ten spyte van die uitdagings bly Vos vasberade om \u2019n oplossing te vind en te veg vir die regte van mense met gestremdhede.<\/p>\n
Die situasie in Worcester beklemtoon die noodsaaklikheid van beter regulering en respek vir parkeerplek vir gestremdes, sowel as die behoefte aan samewerking tussen gemeenskapsorganisasies, die taxi-bedryf en plaaslike owerhede om toeganklike en veilige omgewings vir almal te verseker.<\/p>\n
Minibustaxi\u2019s wat die parkeerruimtes wat gereserveer is vir mense met gestremdhede beset, maak die lewe van personeel en kli\u00ebnte van die Breedevallei-vereniging vir en van mense met gestremdhede in Worcester \u2019n lewende hel, s\u00ea Vos.<\/p>\n
Vos s\u00ea wanneer ouers hul gestremde kinders daar moet aflaai, moet hulle met hul motors in die verkeer in Kerkhofstraat stilhou, die kinders uitlaai en die rolstoel uit die bagasiebak haal.<\/p>\n
Sy s\u00ea indien di\u00e9 ouers volgens die taxi-bestuurders te lank neem, intimideer hulle die ouers deur op hul toeters te l\u00ea en s\u00ea hulle (die taxi-bestuurders) moet in die pad val om sake te doen.<\/p>\n
Vos s\u00ea sodra \u2019n gestremde persoon wel gebruik maak van parkeerplek wat aan hulle toegeken is, intimideer die taxi-bestuurders hulle.<\/p>\n
\u201cTydens ons kantoorure beset die taxi\u2019s al ons parkeerplek. Hulle staan net daar en wag totdat hulle moet ry.<\/p>\n
\u201cEk het ouer mense wat hier kom aansoek doen om parkeerdiskette om in die dorp te parkeer. Hulle moet nou in Greystraat tot amper by Vallei FM se kantore parkeer en dan met hul krukke en rolstoele na ons toe kom, want hulle kan nie hier voor parkeer nie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sy s\u00ea danksy finansiering het die vereniging \u2019n heining voor sy gebou opgerig omdat taxibestuurders in \u2019n stadium hul taxi\u2019s tot teenaan die vereniging se gebou geparkeer het en musiek kliphard speel sodat kantoor-personeel nie hul werk behoorlik kan doen nie en klasse benadeel word.<\/p>\n
\u201cEk het al vir hulle [die taxi-vereniging] briewe en WhatsApps gestuur. Ek het hulle gevra \u2018asseblief, werk met my saam\u2019, \u2018ek smeek julle, los net die parkeerplek wat vir die rolstoele gemerk is\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Die vereniging het selfs so ver gegaan om kameras te installeer, maar net die volgende dag is die kameras gesteel.<\/p>\n
Vos s\u00ea munisipale beamptes spreek die taxi-bestuurders aan, maar hul versoeke word ge\u00efgnoreer.<\/p>\n
Vos het op 27 Oktober verlede jaar by die Breedevallei-munisipaliteit (BVM) aansoek gedoen om \u2019n oorskryding, wat beteken dat sy die helfte van die parkeer-ruimte in Kerkhofstraat wil koop of huur en sodoende deel van die vereniging se perseel wil maak. Die vereniging wou die parkeerruimte omhein. <\/p>\n
Die aansoek is afgekeur omdat daar \u2019n stormwaterpyp onder die betrokke parkeer-ruimte aangel\u00ea is.<\/p>\n
\u201cDieselfde mense wat vir ons destyds die heining gegee het, het nou weer vir ons geld gegee om dit [die betrokke parkeer-ruimte] toe te bou omdat hulle ons frustrasie verstaan. Die finansierder wil nou di\u00e9 geld terugvat, want hulle s\u00ea hulle kan dit beter benut. Ek het hulle gevra om my nog kans te gee omdat ek seker is ek sal met die hulp van die munisipaliteit \u2019n oplossing kry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volgens haar het sy dit ook oorweeg om die ruimte in \u2019n stop-en-ry-sone om te skep. Die BVM het egter ges\u00ea sy kan dit nie doen nie, want die parkeerruimte is openbare parkering.<\/p>\n
\u201cEk voel net mense met gestremdhede word hier te na gekom. Ek is moeg vir baklei, maar ek sal aanhou baklei.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In Worcester, Suid-Afrika se Sorgstad, maak minibustaxi\u2019s wat parkeerplek beset wat vir mense met gestremdhede gereserveer is, die lewe moeilik vir personeel en kli\u00ebnte van die Breedevallei-vereniging vir Mense met 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