Operators should get on board with tribunal decision
Aug 08, 2008 - 11:50 AM
It’s a small thing, but it makes a huge difference to many people.
Drivers of Durham Region Transit buses have been ordered to call out stops on their routes to help passengers with visual impairments. The decision, made by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, would aid passengers beyond those with disabilities; anyone who is unfamiliar with the routes and neighbourhoods they’re travelling in would welcome that little bit of extra help from the driver.
But, despite the order having gone out at the beginning of the year, and despite the DRT having prepared stop announcement books for all operators to achieve uniformity, many passengers complain the drivers remain silent.
Across Durham, there are 2,661 stops identified by DRT that should be announced by drivers, an idea that’s backed up by the Oshawa Accessibility Advisory Committee.
“It doesn’t take much for the bus driver to pick up the microphone when they come to the stop. It helps everybody; it doesn’t just help the visually impaired,” notes Scott Pigden, committee chairman.
This is a great point since many riders may not be regular transit users and remain unfamiliar with the routes they’re travelling. New residents are moving to our communities every day and are learning their way around. But, for the visually impaired, having a stop called out can make the difference between retaining independence and relying on other passengers or guesswork.
No doubt Durham Region Transit operators are not deliberately trying to circumvent the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal or trying to thwart their passengers by remaining silent as the bus rolls up to another stop. It is likely a question of habit and adopting a new practice. But it’s August, and the new rules have been in place since January. The DRT should not have to hear from passengers at this late date that stops are still not being called out.
Perhaps it’s time for the DRT to go beyond handing out announcement booklets and invest in some driver training. Those who approached the tribunal in the first place, and the tribunal itself, certainly thought the issue warranted some kind of remedial solution.
Durham Region’s transit system has not been rolling along as a unified, amalgamated system for long. Making it more user-friendly by announcing the stops for passengers is just the ticket and a good step toward drawing in more passengers.
Ajax Pickering News Advertiser
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