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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 7 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 2148 ..

MR RUGENDYKE (continuing):

The ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service has an intimate knowledge of what is going on. The points it raised with me include the restriction of service during school transport periods. My information is that during these periods no fewer than five of the multicabs are locked into permanent jobs to get disabled schoolchildren to school. This leaves one multicab to service all of Canberra during these times. Adult wheelchair passengers simply have next to no chance to access a cab at this time.

Another concern is changing bookings at the last minute. Clients have to book cabs well in advance, but it is common for the pick-up time to be changed at the last minute due to the pressure on the service. One complaint I personally received was about a woman who had a medical appointment which finished at 2.30 pm. The cab was booked in advance, but she was later advised that she could not be picked up at 2.30 pm. The two choices left were 2.00 pm or 4.30 pm. She could not leave the appointment early, so she had to wait two hours.

Then there are the occupational health and safety standards issues arising from the fact that the drivers are under pressure to meet the demand. If these are the problems the 10,000 local people in wheelchairs endure, what happens when interstate visitors are in town? The Physical Disability Council held a workshop in Canberra early this year. The council made a group booking in advance, faxing details before arriving in Canberra for the conference. They received a call informing them that the booking was covered.

The following week, on the final day of the conference, they had expected their bookings to take place from 3.30 pm, as arranged, to get them to the airport for their flights home. That morning they were contacted by Canberra Cabs and told that the company could not cover their booking at the specified time. The taxis could come only at 2.00 pm instead. So they had to get out of the national meeting early. What sort of advertisement for Canberra is this? Once again, Mr Speaker, it is an embarrassing situation.

I would like to see the multicab situation referred to the Urban Services Committee for urgent consideration. I believe that the disabled community should have input to a process to get more multicabs on the road at the earliest opportunity. I know that there are internal issues for the cab drivers, such as the impact of putting more multicabs on the road. I am sure that the Urban Services Committee can work through these issues.

The complaints are not about the cab drivers. Mr Speaker, throughout my previous career I had a lot to do with cab drivers, I had a lot of respect for cab drivers and I did a lot of common work with cab drivers. The service provided by the drivers in trying circumstances is commendable. They are under pressure, and they do need more cabs. In Canberra the ratio of multicabs to people is one to about 50,000. In Adelaide it is one to about 13,000; in Sydney it is one to 16,000; in Darwin it is one to 11,000; in Brisbane it is one to 15,000; in Hobart it is one to 18,000; in Melbourne it is one to 30,000; and in Perth it is one to 32,000. So, Mr Speaker, one to 50,000 does seem ridiculous. Clearly, there is a far better service in other major centres.

Disabled people deserve to be able to meet commitments and to live their lives like everyone else. It is about a basic individual right. Quite frankly, I am appalled that we are not providing that service for them at the moment. The returning of freedom to these people is long overdue.

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