Penrith resident Phillip Plackett says he is tired of living his life to a public transport timetable, especially when it is rarely accurate.
Mr Plackett, who uses a wheelchair, said that using public transport and particularly buses, is one of the most challenging parts of his day.
“Having a number of disabilities makes it so much harder to use public transport,” he said.
“You have to rely on specialised services or people to help you. If you catch a bus, even if it is an accessible bus, there are still many issues.
“I have a motorised wheelchair and it doesn’t always fit in the designated space provided. If there’s a mum with a pram, we almost never all fit.”
Mr Plackett said that timetabling is one of the biggest concerns for people with disabilities.
“For example, if I miss the bus from Penrith Station to Cranebrook on Wednesday at 2.44pm, I am stuck in Penrith until 6pm at night,” he said.
“Or in the morning, there is a bus at 9.15am which is usually accessible but then randomly they will swap the buses and then you have to wait until the next bus at 10.40am.
“It’s very difficult when you have numerous doctor’s appointments to go to.”
He is one of many people affected by the cancellation of services altogether down Pendock Road in Cranebrook, which according to the latest statistics by Penrith Council, has 144 people with disabilities in just one square kilometre.
“I understand they had to close the route for driver safety, but there are people like me, and elderly people who now have to travel much further to catch a bus,” Mr Plackett said.
And when in October 2013 Busways took over the bus contract for western Sydney, Mr Plackett said the number of accessible buses decreased.
“I did a comparative study and found that on my bus route, the 786, as well as many other Nepean buses, the number of accessible buses fell by 33 per cent. I asked Busways why and they said they still meet the minimum requirements set by the State Government.”
Mr Plackett is part of the Penrith Disabilities Resource Centre and is now trying to establish a travel service especially for people with disabilities.
Joan Reilly uses a walker and regularly catches the 782 to Penrith to do her shopping. She also says there needs to be more accessible buses.
“Some of the buses are very old and narrow so it is difficult for passengers to move through,” she said.
“Also, we really need two or three more buses during the weekdays because if you miss the 12.50pm service there are not any buses in the afternoon that offer access for people with disabilities.”
Murray Wilcockson of the Penrith Disabilities Resource Centre said that complaints about public transport are frequent.
“Things such as the bus drivers won’t pull up close to the curb so it makes it difficult for people to board,” he said.
“The timetabling also needs to be clearer and we need more accessible buses all across Penrith.”
A spokesperson from Busways said that timetables do identify which services are operated by low floor easy access buses.
“Since December 31, 2012, at least 55 per cent of Busways’ timetabled services are operated by a low floor easy access bus. In our contract area including the Penrith region, Busways exceeds this standard,” Busways said.
“Moving forward, timetabled easy access services will increase to at least 80 per cent of all services by the end of 2017, and in 2022 we will be proud to operate all of our services by low floor easy access buses.”
The company said that they also regularly use feedback from customers to train drivers.
“As part of our driver training program, drivers are advised to pull up close to the kerb to make boarding and alighting easier for passengers. Cars parked in bus stop zones and other hazards such as this can sometimes make this difficult, but drivers are instructed to make every effort to ensure ease and safety when boarding for our customers,” Busways said.
“In partnership with Guide Dogs NSW recently our Penrith depot participated in customer service training with guide dogs.”
