29 November 2012
Call for Increase to the NSW Taxi Transport Subsidy
The Spinal Cord Injury Australia (SCIA) Policy and Advocacy Team is encouraging people to write to the NSW Minister for Transport and the Shadow Minister for Transport to request an increase in the subsidy given under the NSW Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS).
The TTSS has not increased since 1999, despite a considerable increase in taxi fares. As a consequence, people with disability who rely on taxis to access the community spend a disproportionately high amount of their income on transport.
Currently the TTSS subsidises fares by 50%, with a maximum contribution of $30 per fare. Those who travel long distances to access the community are affected the most by the small contribution provided under the scheme.
If you would like to support the SCIA subsidy increase campaign, the letter template is provided on the campaign website. With your assistance and where willing, people with disability are encouraged to use their own personal examples of how the TTSS has impacted upon their ability to access the community.
It would be of additional support if you could distribute information about the campaign within your networks.
This NDS Info-e is provided as a service to members. To enquire about Info-e’s or if you wish to be removed from this distribution list please contact lucy.randall@nds.org.au.
Comments
Please complete and send the template letters
As one of the team running the campaign to try to get the NSW Government to increase the NSW Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS) subsidy I would just like to add further comment to the posting that access to transport it is important for all members of the community, but for many people with disability, and depending on where they live, there is generally fewer options for accessible and affordable transport. For many people with a physical disability who use wheelchair accessible taxis as their only accessible transport option, and with many receiving CentreLink benefits or lower-income earners, the cost of taxi transport is relatively expensive and the TTSS is inefficient and ineffective.
Accessible and affordable transport provides people with disability with the opportunity to participate in society as active citizens by increasing the opportunity to access and maintain education, training, employment as well as increase community access and minimise social isolation.
I would like to urge all members of the community to support the TTSS Campaign to help it achieve a positive outcome. Could you please complete and send the template letters to the NSW Minister for Transport and NSW Shadow Minister for Transport located on the SCIA TTSS Campaign Webpage: http://scia.org.au/policy-and-advocacy/campaigns/ttss-campaign which provides instructions on how and where to send the letters.
The NSW TTSS was last increased in 1999 and subsidises taxi fares by 50% (to a maximum of $30 for a $60 taxi fare). This is completely inadequate as taxi fares have increased by over 45% since 1999 and we are asking the NSW Government to increase the NSW TTSS subsidy to 75% of a $120 taxi fare (maximum $90 taxi fare subsidy).
There is strength in numbers and if you could support this campaign by distributing the link to the Indymedia webpage or the SCIA webpage you will positively contribute to this campaign and its success will make a difference to the lives of people with disability.