Ting (centre) handing over a mock car key to Boon near the MPV. Also seen from left are Koo, Elaine Teo and Masa vice chairman Siti Ana Abdul Manap.
MIRI (Aug 3): More public facilities should be made barrier-free for the disabled community to allow them to go about their day-to-day routine with greater ease, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Assistant Minister Datuk Sebastian Ting.
Ting said facilities such as public buses with hydraulic lifts for wheelchair users, tactile blocks at walkways for the blind and audio systems to assist disabled pedestrians at traffic lights, should be part of the basic facility in Miri City to improve mobility for the disabled.
“For the disabled community, these barrier-free facilities not only give them convenience in moving around confidently. It actually allows them to feepart of the society,” he said after handing over a seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) to Miri Ability Services Association (Masa) on Sunday.
He further applauded Masa’s proposed barrier-free vehicle to provide affordable car ride services for wheel-chair users, adding that it ws a first step towards creating an obstacle-free community.
The second-hand MPV was donated by a group of good samaritans after they were informed of Masa’s project. Bought at the price of nearly RM80,000, the spacious MPV is able to fit three wheelchairs at any one time.
Mir Kaying Community Youth chief Donny Koo, who led the fund raising campaign, said it took several months from collecting funds to settling the procedure and obtaining documents for the vehicle, but it was made possible with the help of everyone involved.
Thanking the donors, Masa chairman Boon Foo Ping said the MPV will be used for e-hailing services for the disabled community.
“For the public’s information, wheelchair users are unable to use the usual public transportation or e-hailing services, because they need to have sufficient space for their wheelchair and they would need at least two persons to assist them in and out of the vehicle.
“With a hydraulic lift, it will conveniently allow them to get into the vehicle with their wheelchair and only need one person to assist.
“We had previously bought a second hand van but we ended up unable to put it into use. So, we had to seek help from the public since last year to purchase another vehicle,” said Boon.
He said that they will charge a minimum fee to cover the vehicle’s maintenance when it begins its service.
For more on Masa, contact Boon at 014-6871981 or visit the centre at Lot 111019, Senadin Phase 7.
from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/2VjmL8T
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