SOCIAL welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian yesterday said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is eyeing the expansion of electric buses (e-buses) for persons with disabilities (PWDs) to other parts of the country.
Gatchalian made the remark as he led the inspection and test run of three electric buses at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City.
The additional e-buses were purchased by members of the Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations (SLPAs) and are part of the DSWD’s PWD-Electric Transportation Service (PWD-ETS) under its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
The e-buses were piloted in February and provided shuttle service for persons with disabilities working at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
Gatchalian said that with the success of the e-bus, they are now coordinating with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to make a commercial run initially in Quezon City.
He said they would eventually extend the operation of the PWD buses to other parts of Metro Manila, and subsequently to other parts of the country.
Gatchalian said the e-bus project is part of the Marcos administration’s thrust to help PWDs become more independent and live lives similar to non-PWDs.
He said to realize this, the DSWD, together with PWD beneficiaries of the SLP, came up with the PWD-ETS project, which provides livelihood grants to persons with disabilities who are members of SLPAs.
They invested in electric buses to provide safe and “very comfortable means of transportation” for PWDs, and at the same time provide them with income.
Gatchalian said each SLPA is composed of 115 members who are all persons with disabilities from 10 local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila.
Gatchalian said the SLPA members earn dividends sourced from the fares that are charged by the e-buses, that are currently operating as corporate shuttles in Taguig City.
He said the service units are managed and operated by members of the SLPAs in coordination with the Global Electric Transport (GET) Philippines Incorporated, which is the chosen service provider for the e-buses.
The buses are contracted through a mobile phone application, similar to a ride hailing service, which identifies where to pick up and drop off the PWD, along with the fees to pay and mode of payment.
Gatchalian said the e-buses, which now numbers to 20, provide a safe space for persons with disabilities and prevent discrimination and exclusion.
“Ang utos ng ating Pangulo noong nagsimula ako sa DSWD is siguraduhin na yung proteksyon natin sa mga vulnerable ay malawak na malawak. Kasama diyan yung paglunsad ng mga safe spaces o safe public transpo para sa ating mga may kapansanan (The order of the President when I started in the DSWD was to ensure the protection of the vulnerable sector. It includes providing safe spaces or safe public transportation for those with disabilities),” he said.
As this developed, Gatchalian said the DSWD, through its Central Office Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU), has visited and provided aid to a male person with autism disorder who was physically abused inside a public utility bus.
He said incident concerning the male passenger underscored the urgency of coming up with more PWD-friendly public modes of public transportation.
It likewise stressed the need to properly orient public utility vehicle operators and drivers on dealing and handling the needs of PWDs.
