Submission on the Greater Christchurch Metro Strategy Review
Environment Canterbury and Christchurch City Council called for submissions on their review of the Metro Strategy for public transport in Greater Christchurch.
The Foundation's submission supported prioritising an inclusive, accessible public transport system.
Full text of submission
Introduction
This is the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind's (the Foundation's) submission on the Greater Christchurch Metro Strategy Review.
The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (the Foundation) is New Zealand's primary provider of vision-related habilitation and rehabilitation services to blind and partially sighted people. The Foundation's vision is empowering and supporting blind and partially sighted New Zealanders to ensure that they have the same opportunities and choices as everyone else.
The Foundation has around 1,500 registered members in the Canterbury region, and 11,700 members across the country who may visit Canterbury at different times.
Accessible transport systems are essential for social inclusion of blind and partially sighted people. The Foundation would like to see priority placed on developing an inclusive, accessible public transport system.
Response to Review questions
Q1: Do you think we should be encouraging people to make more of their trips on public transport in the future?
Yes, encourage more public transport use
Q2: Do you think we should be investing more or less money in public transport in the future?
Invest more money in public transport in the future
Q3: What would you like public transport in Greater Christchurch to look like in the future?
Fully accessible to disabled travellers.
Accessible public transport is essential for social inclusion of disabled people, and has benefits for the wider community. The Human Rights Commission's 2005 Inquiry report The Accessible Journey found that:
"all the changes that make public land transport more accessible for disabled people also improve access for non-disabled people, and therefore contribute directly to increased use of public transport."[1]
Inclusive design will be particularly important for an ageing population. The legal mandate for improving accessibility will be strengthened by New Zealand's recent ratification of the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Specific accessibility requirements for blind and partially sighted travellers include:
- audible information about stops.timetable information in accessible formats.
- stations/stops designed to be accessible to blind and partially sighted pedestrians, compliant with both New Zealand Standard 4121 and RTS 14: Guidelines for Facilities for Blind and Vision-Impaired Pedestrians.
- clear audible and visual ways of identifying vehicles.
- staff awareness of how to accommodate blind, partially sighted and deafblind people, reinforced through mandatory training.
- affordable fares.adequate and equitable access to the Total Mobility scheme.
The Association of Blind Citizens publication Is This The Right Bus? details these requirements more specifically
Involvement of blind and partially sighted individuals in transport planning, for example through the Canterbury Active Transport (CAT) Forum or a disability-specific reference group, would be one way of improving accessibility for this population.
Q4: Please list the five improvements from the current Metro Strategy (listed on page 2 of the brochure) that you believe are the MOST important:
#9 Research community preferences for information provision and implement changes as required.
#18 Develop Metro bus stop standards and upgrade bus stops so they consistently apply.
#25 Ensure bus drivers are supported in their customer service role in order to meet increasing customer expectations.
#35 Continue to identify issues and solutions for people with special needs to ensure the system better meets those needs.
#8 Investigate and install onboard audio and visual display information systems on all high frequency Metro systems
Q5: Please list the five improvements from the current Metro Strategy (listed on page 2 of the brochure) that you believe are the LEAST important:
#26 Apply dress standards to all Metro drivers
Q6: Are there any improvements from the current Metro Strategy (listed on page 2 of the brochure) which you think should be CHANGED in the new Metro Strategy? If so, please describe the changes:
#9 Research community preferences for information provision and implement changes as required.
The Foundation supports the approach of community consultation, and requests that this include consideration of information accessibility issues. For example, web resources should be designed to be accessible to all internet users, regardless of impairment. The
Web resources can be designed with accessibility in mind, so that they can be read either visually on screen or using adaptive technology to present the same information in audio, braille or enlarged text. Following technical standards often makes the resource more usable by customers who are not disabled. This universal design approach to information is in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Article 9 (g & h) and Articles 21 and 24.
Consultation with the blind community should consider options for providing public transport information, including timetables in accessible formats like braille, audio and large print.
#18 Develop Metro bus stop standards and upgrade bus stops so they consistently apply.
The Foundation strongly supports this goal, as consistent standards are important for blind and partially sighted people accessing the built environment. The progress to date states that the standards have been written and are now being rolled out, however Christchurch-based staff have noted that bus stops are being developed with shelters that do not meet New Zealand Standard 4121 (2001) requirements to include a feature within 150mm of the ground. This requirement is essential to ensure that a blind or partially sighted person using a white cane for mobility can identify the bus stop in a safe and timely manner to avoid body contact with the stop.
New bus stops are being sited within the continuous accessible path of travel which means they are an obstacle to blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Visually, the bus stops do contrast sufficiently to their background to be detected visually by partially sighted people.
#25 Ensure bus drivers are supported in their customer service role in order to meet increasing customer expectations.
The Foundation supports this goal, but submits that this should include an understanding of diversity and differing customer needs. The review document states that this goal is being met by driver of the month rewards. Feedback from Christchurch-based Foundation members suggests that there may be gaps in the quality and type of support being offered. Anecdotal experiences include members being told they cannot have guide dogs on the buses, drivers not stopping for a person with a cane or guide dog to check which bus they are waiting for, drivers pulling away from the stop before the person can find a seat, and leaving a member at the incorrect stop, in an unfamiliar environment.
The Foundation submits that bus drivers should have consistent, professional training in how to provide service to customers with an impairment. This training should be developed and conducted in conjunction with disability professionals.
#35 Continue to identify issues and solutions for people with special needs to ensure the system better meets those needs.
The Foundation strongly supports this initiative and the improvements that have been implemented - access to real time information being available via cell phones and the internet being one. The Foundation suggests the Human Rights Commission's Accessible Journey report and the Association of Blind Citizens' information resource "Is This The Right Bus?" as useful resources in identifying issues and solutions.
Involvement of blind and partially sighted individuals in transport planning, for example through the Canterbury Active Transport (CAT) Forum or a disability-specific reference group, is another important way of identifying specific local issues.
One of the greatest issues for our members is lack of audible information at external bus stops. The bus system in Auckland City has implemented audio signposts on the main routes, and is a good example of an accessible system.
Another important issue is identification of the correct bus at sites with multiple stops. Clear audible and visual ways of identifying vehicles is essential and should be a priority. A blind or partially sighted person who cannot read bus numbers has no way of independently identifying the correct bus if the driver does not stop. Driver awareness of the needs of blind and partially sighted travellers is also essential.
# 30 Review vehicle consistency in internal layout and facilities.
The review document states that national vehicle standards have been developed. Standards are important for blind and partially sighted people travelling independently as they allow for a more consistent, predictable experience. The Foundation notes that the location of stop request buttons are not consistent across the different companies and within companies.
Q7: Are there any improvements from the current Metro Strategy (listed on page 2 of the brochure) which you think should be REMOVED from the new Metro Strategy? If so, please describe the changes:
No.
Q8: Are there any further improvements which you think need to be ADDED to the new Metro Strategy which are not currently included, especially for Selwyn and Waimakariri. If so, please describe:
Driver training in the needs of disabled customers. As noted above, this could be included in goal #25, but needs a specific focus.
Q9: How often do you currently use the bus?
Not applicable - this submission is made on behalf of an organisation, not an individual.
Further Information
Please direct any questions to:
Moira Clunie
Insights, Policy & Advocacy Manager
Phone: (09) 355 6938
Email: mclunie@rnzfb.org.nz
Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
Private Bag 99941
Newmarket
Auckland
NEW ZEALAND
