What persons with disabilities want from BMA on travel issues?

What persons with disabilities want from BMA on travel issues?

On February 8, 2013, Thailand Cycling Club (TCC) convened a workshop at the Asia Pacific Development Center on Disability in Bangkok to brainstorm representatives from organizations of persons with disabilities what they want from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on travel issues. The workshop was participated by 18 representatives (and 4 assistants) from 12 organizations of persons with disabilities at national and Asia regional levels.

Professor Emeritus Thongchai Panswad Ph.D., TCC Founder and President, explained that this workshop was aimed to ask persons with disabilities what they want from the Governor of Bangkok Metropolitan who would be elected on March 3, 2013, and what knowledge and information they need about their travel that TCC would conduct studies for them. Mr. Gawin Chutima, TCC Advisor, added that information from this workshop would also be used to advocate concrete implementation of the 5^th National Health Assembly’s resolution on ‘Systems and Structures for Promotion of Walking and Cycling in Daily Life’ and to monitor actions taken by the newly elected Bangkok Governor throughout the four-year term as well.

The participants actively discussed in their small groups and presented their ideas in the plenary that can be summed up as follows:

As for their requests to candidates in the gubernatorial election and the elected governor is that the new BMA administration should enable all groups of people, including persons with disabilities, to really use walkways and all travel facilities conveniently and safely. Every design and construction should have standards that persons with disabilities take part in the determination and based on the principle of Universal Design. BMA personnel must be trained to have good attitudes towards persons with disabilities and have knowledge and skills to act towards and provide services for persons with disabilities appropriately.

Actions that the newly elected governor should do immediately in 2013 are to improve footpaths and access points in certain areas that persons with disabilities often use, and to enforce existing laws to prevent motorcycles running and cars parking on footpaths and traders regulated to allow pedestrians and wheelchairs to travel conveniently.

Finally, the participants proposed that studies be conducted on several topics, such as feasibility of moving public utilities underground, footpath sharing between traders and pedestrians, and potential access points to public places and public transport. Performance of the new governor should be systematically monitored for advocacy too.

Reported by Gawin Chutima

February 11,2013

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