Kudos to Carmany's suggested SCAT fare rate
I am glad to see that City Councilwoman Sandy Carmany has brought common sense and reality to the council. Specifically, she proposed in December a motion that disabled riders pay standard bus fees for riding the SCAT routes for passengers with special needs.
This issue has boiled since a biased committee of City Council, SCAT and GTA decided what changes in fares were needed. Without seeking enough input from the disabled community, a decision was made that enraged citizens and required council reconsideration.
GTA and SCAT proudly proclaim that all SCAT services are paid from local funding and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It is too bad that they didn't take time to read the North Carolina Persons with Disabilities Act.
This law reads in part (NCGS168A-8): "... public transportation systems may use alternative methods to provide transportation for persons with a disability, as long as persons with a disability are offered transportation that, in relation to the transportation offered to other persons is ...in similar geographic area ... for fares not greater in price ...with reasonable response time ... with similar hours of operation."
If Carmany's proposal is adopted by the GTA board, GTA finally would be complying with the law.
James Wells
Greensboro
Comments (2)
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I thought the regular GTA busses were equipped to transport disabled people. That would already put GTA in compliance with the law and SCAT could legally be scrapped altogether.
Am I wrong in that thinking?
Posted on January 3, 2007 8:21 AM
nitpicker, not all disabled SCAT riders are in wheelchairs. There was quite a kerfluffle at GTCC in the CED (Compensatory Education Department, which helps brain-injured and mentally retarded adults develop life skills) when the rate increases were originally proposed. Most of the students could walk to a bus stop, but many of them could not remember what bus lines to take to school. They need SCAT at reasonable prices.
Posted on January 5, 2007 3:38 PM