While national Disability Rights Awareness Month is being commemorated until December 3, some disabled people are accusing the City’s Dial-a-Ride service of violating their human rights.
The City of Cape Town introduced the Dial-a-Ride service in 1998 to provide a public service transport for people who have special needs and are unable to access conventional or mainstream public transport.
But users say the service is unreliable and despite having to book a bus one to two weeks in advance, they are either left at their pick-up points or have to wait for hours to be collected.
Kraaifontein resident Deomicia Du Preez, 29, said the service was pathetic and infringed on her right to education.
When Northern News visited her on Friday November 8, she was sitting in her motorised wheelchair waiting for her transport to arrive.
She said she had to make the appointment with Dial-a-Ride two weeks before and reminded them again the day before, because they had once forgotten her in Bellville, a few months back.
She added that she needed to be at class at 9am but her bus arrived at 9.44am.
“I am on a learnership and I need to prove that I can be a good student including being on time but Dial-a-Ride is so unreliable I am always late, have to leave early or I am just completely forgotten about.”
Ms Du Preez said she gave up on “stressing about getting to class” but that all changed when she had her baby daughter Elianah, seven months ago.