Following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure safe and inclusive spaces for persons with disability, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has rolled out disability-friendly electric vehicle shuttle services.
In a briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday, Department of Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian reported the successful trial run of its corporate shuttle service for PWDs involving 20 electric vehicles deployed in Quezon City.
“Ang mga e-shuttle na ‘to, bukod sa electronic siya, they are PWD enabled. Ibig sabihin may mga rampa, may mga sapat na espasyo para sa mga wheelchair and may mga CCTV cameras to make sure na safe space siya para sa ating mga people with disability na araw-araw pumapasok sa kanilang mga trabaho,” Gatchalian said.
The issue of PWDs’ safety gained renewed attention after a video of a male passenger with autism being assaulted inside a public utility bus went viral in social media over the weekend.
“Mayroon kaming programa kung saan naglalabas tayo ng e-shuttles. These are electric shuttles na binibigyang prayoridad ang ating mga PWD na makasakay papunta sa kanilang mga trabaho,” Gatchalian said.
He said for now the e-shuttle services are intended for PWDs employed by private companies.
The provision of electric vehicles for shuttle services falls under the DSWD’s Persons with Disabilities- Electric Transportation Service (PWD-ETS) pilot project.
The PWD-ETS aims to provide livelihood to PWDs who form Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) associations to manage the shuttle services, while providing a safe and efficient transport system for PWDs.
The PWD-friendly e-shuttles can accommodate four wheelchairs and are equipped with CCTV security cameras and charging ports.
Gatchalian said passengers could book a ride by using a mobile app. The e-shuttle services apply regular rates charged by public transport.
“Right now, they operate as corporate shuttles kasi marami tayong mga multinational companies na may inclusivity initiatives… Very aggressive sila in putting people with disability in their workforce,” Gatchalian said. | PND
