It is not known how many people with disabilities and reduced mobility use public transport because the capital and the state do not have this data. They don't even have information and data on PWDs, which is a deficiency that has been pointed out for years, the director of the Association of Youth with Handicap of Montenegro (UMHCG) told "Vijesti". Marina Vujacic.
Public transport in Podgorica, as she said, is not accessible for all categories of people with disabilities, but, Vujačić claims, not for other categories of people with reduced mobility either.
"On most lines in the capital, there are no accessible buses, bus stops, signs at bus stops, i.e. all prescribed elements of accessibility, which enable unhindered, i.e. independent and safe access to transport. The same is the case as far as buses are concerned, because the new buses that have been acquired are accessible, bearing in mind that they have a ramp for entry/exit, but not all stops, and the existing buses do not operate on all lines," said Vujačić.
"Puteva" from Podgorica says that their primary goal is to provide "maximum comfort and accessibility for all users of their services".
"...Through which we will further improve the quality of public transport, and which will certainly, in addition to the promotion and affirmation of public transport, be the focus of our work, when it comes to improving the traffic situation and the procurement of new buses in the coming period", they said from " Roads".
It depends on several factors
Vujacic told "Vijesta" that the new buses of the Capital City are accessible and wide enough that "the wheelchair user can get to the place provided for him". She reminded that the capital city acquired 45 new buses, of which 40 are on daily routes.
"They have holders on the left and on the right, and they are at an adequate height, so that the wheelchair user can hold on while driving. Also, the button to call the driver is in a visible place. However, new vehicles should be analyzed, evaluated, planned and procured, in such a way that older buses that are no longer safe will be taken out of service and replaced with new ones," she said.
Vujačić said that, after the new buses started running daily, she asked some wheelchair users about their impressions.
"When the new buses started to run, they say that it happened that the drivers did not stop the bus at the stop and that wheelchair users had to wait for the next one or find other ways to get transportation. This means that it is necessary to educate drivers and understand that people with disabilities are also citizens of this state and Podgorica, who have the same rights as others, including the right to traffic", said the "Vijesti" interlocutor.
According to her, the degree of realization of the rights of PWDs in the field of public transport depends on the accessibility of the environment. According to Vujačić, their visibility and activity in society largely depend on the level of accessibility of means of transport and traffic services.
"The current situation shows that service providers and road users still do not have a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding. In addition, they are not sufficiently familiar with the purpose of certain elements in traffic, such as e.g. lowered sidewalks, tactile guide strips, inductive loops, sound signaling, as well as the overall accessibility and availability of public transport for people with disabilities", assesses Vujačić.
Allocate more money to affordability
He emphasizes that it is necessary to work on the availability of information, communication tools, services and technologies.
"Also, the aforementioned includes the availability of services provided to the general population and, not least, the timeliness of information and support. The above means that in addition to accessibility, as a right of persons with disabilities, the availability of traffic is also important, i.e. availability at the moment when traffic and transportation are needed by persons with disabilities. In this sense, in addition to accessible public transport, the service of accessible transport, i.e. door-to-door transport, should be further improved and developed", said Vujačić.
He says that UMHCG established this service in 2020, and after the implementation of the project, the Capital continued to finance it through the regular annual budget.
Vujacic points out that it would be necessary to allocate more funds and have more affordable vehicles.
"Certainly, work should also be done on adapting the entire city, including public areas, but also traffic facilities, as well as means of transportation. In this sense, activities should be undertaken to adapt and make bus stops and stations more accessible. The stops are not sufficiently accessible, some stops, i.e. access sidewalks, do not even have an adequately sloped descent, i.e. lowered sidewalks for the approach of wheelchair users, and none of the stops that we visited during monitoring have tactile strips for users of a white cane," said Vujačić.
Better than before, but...
Vujacic explained to "Vijesta" that public transport is significantly more accessible than before, "but still not at a satisfactory level and on the territory of the entire city".
"Here, we are particularly thinking about road traffic, and that one part of it that refers to buses and bus stops. On the other hand, private taxi transport should not be ignored, nor the fact that the capital is covered by rail transport, as well as, in a way, air transport due to the airport in Golubovci. When it comes to rail transport, only accessible transport is on the route Podgorica-Nikšić-Podgorica, and that is when the coffee train, better known as the Spanish train, runs, but all platforms and stations, including the railway station in Podgorica, are not accessible for people with disabilities." she said.
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