Public transport accessibility
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (11:49): My question today is for Minister Pulford, representing the minister for transport. We have seen protests across Victoria these past weeks as people with disabilities face inaccessibility on public transport. Many stories were shared. We heard of individuals waiting 3 hours for a taxi because the accessible V/Line carriage they had booked was not attached to the train. A local taxidriver informed the individual this happens at least twice a week. We heard of a person in a wheelchair being put in the luggage carriage of a V/Line, rocking the whole way to Melbourne, his mum standing with her arms over him to protect him from other people’s suitcases and bikes. So I ask: Minister, it has been highlighted that people with disabilities are still struggling to access public transport services; what are the government’s plans to fix these issues?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (11:49): I thank Mr Barton for his question and for his advocacy around these issues. I will seek a written response from Minister Carroll for Mr Barton.
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (11:50): Thank you, Minister. For wheelchair users the Melbourne tram network is unusable on most routes and most stops. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 requires that all tram stops must be fully compliant with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 by 31 December 2022. As it stands, 73 per cent of all tram stops and 62 per cent of trams are inaccessible to people using wheelchairs, mobility aids and prams. If upgrades continue at the current rate, it has been estimated that tram stops will not be accessible until 2066. The government should apply the same commitment to making trams and trains accessible as it does to removing level crossings. My supplementary is: Minister, of the 1700 tram stops in Melbourne, how many will be accessible to people with disabilities by the end of this year?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (11:50): I thank Mr Barton for his further question. It is a very important subject. It matters to and impacts many people in the Victorian community, and I will seek a written response from Mr Carroll about the rate of those upgrades and progress on achieving that.