Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Use of Bus Boarding Ramps for Wheelchairs and Baby Pushchairs

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     what operational considerations underpin the current differentiation in the deployment of bus boarding ramps for wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs; and

b.     what are the specific targets and resources allocated to improve public transport accessibility for families with young children.

Reply by Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat:

1.     Parents or caregivers have the flexibility to board from either the front or rear doors, and to decide whether they wish to leave their child in the stroller as they board. Parents or caregivers who prefer to use the ramp at the rear door can ask the bus captains for assistance. For passengers in wheelchairs who require the use of the ramp to board from the rear door, bus captains will deploy the ramp as a standard procedure. There is a difference for passengers in wheelchairs as many of them may be by themselves, unlike the case for children, and it may not be easy for someone in the wheelchair to alert the bus captain. 

2.     Stroller restraints have been installed in the wheelchair bays of buses for families who prefer to keep their strollers open. Since 2014, all new bus interchanges are equipped with family-friendly features, such as baby care rooms and child-friendly facilities in toilets. For existing bus interchanges, we will include these family-friendly facilities during upgrading works where feasible. All stations along the Thomson-East Coast Line, and the upcoming Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line are also equipped with similar features.