Stranded equality

I am a full-time employee in the public service and as I am a wheelchair user I am provided with the necessary transport by an NGO, the Fondazzjoni Trasport Ghall-Hajja Indipendenti (FTGHI). Although I pay 85c per day and Lm1.25 on Saturday, as I am employed six days a week, this transport service is subsidised by the government.

Recently, I received a notice of a shutdown of service between August 9 and 14. This notice was signed by the chairman of FTGHI and also jointly signed by the executive director of the National Commission for Persons with Disability (NCPD). While apologising for the inconvenience caused to its clients, the notice explained that the management of FTGHI had to resort to a shutdown of service for six days due to substantial financial difficulties and because of difficulties in issuing vacation leave to the employees of FTGHI, so as not to increase its financial burden.

In the past seven years that I have been using the service, it always remained consistent throughout the whole year as it is thus committed to its objectives. I enquired from private garages that cater for persons with disability with tail-lift vehicles and was told that the going rate is Lm5 each way, Lm10 per day.

At that rate it would be insane to go to work to earn a living at such rates for transportation. I hardly earn that much per day. That is why such a service is subsidised by the government. So, the only other option left for me is to apply for vacation leave in the above-mentioned week, if possible. This undignified situation is unacceptable and I will not be forced to request involuntary vacation leave. I wrote to the Prime Minister (dated July 17) about all this, humbly asking him to intervene. I also forwarded copies of the letter to the chairmen of FTGHI and NCPD respectively.

Unfortunately, as yet I haven't received an acknowledgement from the OPM. I wrote also (dated July 24) to Dolores Cristina, Minister for the Family and Social Solidarity, also humbly asking for her intervention. I received a reply from the ministry saying that the minister held talks about this issue on July 28 with the NCPD chairman, Mr Camilleri and will take the matter in hand.

The FTGHI is going through a rough patch and why it has dried out of money still remains to be seen by the authorities concerned. The sooner the better but if the NCPD wants to practise cut back resolutions in such a vital and good service offered by FTGHI, it should first do so in a responsible manner and not leave us clients swimming alone and apologising for the "inconvenience caused" and requesting our cooperation.

If it weren't for my letter and other similar letters written by other affected fellow clients of the transport service to the minister concerned the issue would have been swept under the carpet. Indeed, pretty vocabulary such as "equal opportunities" and "inclusion" in reality is still a far cry. If the NCPD has these principles at heart then it should fork out the expenses required to provide us with transport from private garages out of its budget for the six days in question. Incidentally, the NCPD has its annual shutdown also between August 9 and 14. What a convenient coincidence!