Nissan South Africa has converted the popular Impendulo Taxi to cater for people with disabilities. It now allows the disabled/wheelchair-bound to make use of public transport.
Adapted minibus vehicles that offer public transport for the physically disabled are already on the road. However, there was still a great need for more vehicles that can accommodate disabled commuters. Recognizing this need, Nissan has transformed the common taxi.
The taxi released in the Eastern Cape to the regional health departments. The Impendulo contains a hydraulic lift in the back and rear-facing seating. It also has aluminium flooring which assists in keeping wheelchairs in position. Nissan has emphasized that the converted taxi meets all regulatory safety and technical standards and specifications.
Back in 2007, the SA government together with the Department of Transport put their focus on improving public transport for the disabled through the Public Transport Strategy and Action Plan.
Meetings were held between the South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC), the SA National Taxi Association Council (SANTACO) and the Department of Transport to discuss the concerns of transporting people with disabilities.
In addressing the problem at the time, the Department of Transport provided vehicles for the “Dial a Ride” campaign. It catered for people unable to use traditional forms of public transport. The campaign seemed to be attracting the wrong part of the market. Dial a Ride is still active in the main provinces and operates very strictly to its registered users.
However, concerns regarding how user-friendly the experience to the disabled are now raised. There have been many reports of harassment, bad language, and rudeness shown to disabled commuters by taxi drivers in the past.
Another problem also lies in the hands of the taxi owners. The government doesn’t subsidize taxis. So, can they afford to implement a taxi recapitalisation program to add these vehicles to their fleet?
In earlier years taxi drivers had many issues in catering for commuters in wheelchairs. Their main complaint was the time it takes to get these passengers in and out.
A lot of discrimination is made against these members of society unnecessarily. Whether or not taxi owners are willing to cater for them, the need to transport the disabled remains to be crucial.
This transport allows the 7.5% of disabled South Africans to be economically active, self-supporting and independent. It also gives them equal opportunities at life.
