A Fume of Buses: Part Two
LRB A Fume of Buses Part Two
Howdy Comrades!
We begin 2007 with a frontal attacked by Capital metro staff on the very successful Taxi voucher Program used by hundreds of blind passengers to get to work, college, to medical appointments and grocery shopping trips. Blind representatives on the Access Committee have been systematically ignored, even threatened with impeachment for opposing this clumsy attempt by Metro to eliminate the Taxi Voucher Program. Our blind representatives are held in such contempt by staff that agendas, handouts and crucial information is never provided in accessible formats until a complaint is filed, long after the meeting.
Recently, taxi drivers who accept the MTA vouchers have been treated like criminals by Metro staff. Many have had vouchers denied when information is different than Metro thinks it should be, even though the errors come from Metro staff. Consequently, tired of having to jump through hoops just to get paid, the number of taxi drivers now willing to accept vouchers have been cut in half. Moreover, Cap Metro has now decided that all cab drivers who accept vouchers must undergo random drug tests at their own expense. One driver stated, “What will they ask for next, my DNA?”
Recently the Access Committee was informed that yet another consultant has been hired to “fix” the voucher program. In fact, this person’s actual job is to find a contractor to take the trips currently handled by cab companies. The reason Cap Metro gives for this move is that they can’t control cab drivers. They now refuse to change or edit existing vouchers even if the passenger makes the request the day before. Why should Metro care? The reason, once again, is that they have to control the purpose of the trip, and changing any vouchers could change the trip purpose. I have argued this issue many times before. Trip restrictions and trip priorities are clearly illegal according to federal law. Perhaps some blind folks should stand in front of busy fixed route buses and demand to know if a person getting on the bus is going to the doctor? If they answer no, we should tell them that only folks actually going to a physician may ride the bus because Metro must control the types of trips the taxpayers want to pay for. How long would it take for the sighted public to call the cops? Not long, I warrant.
(To be continued)
Regards,
Chairman Mal
Power to the Peeps!
Howdy Comrades!
We begin 2007 with a frontal attacked by Capital metro staff on the very successful Taxi voucher Program used by hundreds of blind passengers to get to work, college, to medical appointments and grocery shopping trips. Blind representatives on the Access Committee have been systematically ignored, even threatened with impeachment for opposing this clumsy attempt by Metro to eliminate the Taxi Voucher Program. Our blind representatives are held in such contempt by staff that agendas, handouts and crucial information is never provided in accessible formats until a complaint is filed, long after the meeting.
Recently, taxi drivers who accept the MTA vouchers have been treated like criminals by Metro staff. Many have had vouchers denied when information is different than Metro thinks it should be, even though the errors come from Metro staff. Consequently, tired of having to jump through hoops just to get paid, the number of taxi drivers now willing to accept vouchers have been cut in half. Moreover, Cap Metro has now decided that all cab drivers who accept vouchers must undergo random drug tests at their own expense. One driver stated, “What will they ask for next, my DNA?”
Recently the Access Committee was informed that yet another consultant has been hired to “fix” the voucher program. In fact, this person’s actual job is to find a contractor to take the trips currently handled by cab companies. The reason Cap Metro gives for this move is that they can’t control cab drivers. They now refuse to change or edit existing vouchers even if the passenger makes the request the day before. Why should Metro care? The reason, once again, is that they have to control the purpose of the trip, and changing any vouchers could change the trip purpose. I have argued this issue many times before. Trip restrictions and trip priorities are clearly illegal according to federal law. Perhaps some blind folks should stand in front of busy fixed route buses and demand to know if a person getting on the bus is going to the doctor? If they answer no, we should tell them that only folks actually going to a physician may ride the bus because Metro must control the types of trips the taxpayers want to pay for. How long would it take for the sighted public to call the cops? Not long, I warrant.
(To be continued)
Regards,
Chairman Mal
Power to the Peeps!
posted by Chairman Mal at
8:28 PM
2 Comments:
If I didn’t live in Austin; had I not experienced the zings and horrors of Cap Metro’s mismanagement; I would gleefully extol your satirical skills. This is Austin after all: Intellectually, artistically, culturally, and politically, we triumph over any town in Texas. Alas, I must concur with your findings. Like all of the blind of Austin, I am choked by the fume of buses and stand ready to join the battle against those who build “stumbling blocks against the blind.” Markie De Saad
It’s not STS always. I still can’t get the regular bus drivers to tell me the stops or turn on the voice. Driver said other people said they got headaches. This is no right and I got to spend so much time if they forget my stop plus getting lost.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home