I was so disturbed by the news today.

Singapore is installing 150 handicap bus for wheelchair bound citizens to enjoy the public transport. These busses had a wider entrance with a ramp for wheelchairs. Not only does handicap citizens have to use their manual strength to board the bus, the bus driver had to manually setup the ramp for use.

This 'effort' from a modernised and wannabe graceful society?! What a joke!

3 years ago, in Germany, from my backpacking trip. They have fully automated wheelchair friendly bus for their less privileged citizens. These busses had a platform that can be automatically lowered down with a touch of a button by the driver. The flat platform lowers to ground level for the wheelchair to board on it and at another touch of a button, the platform raises up to the bus level so the wheelchair could board the bus easily!

We can install 2 LCD tvs in all our busses but we can't do 150 busses with automatic platforms.

I would rate this as a half-hearted effort to making Singapore a more inclusive society.

Come on Singapore, you could do better than that!

P.S. I wonder how the Singapore version of handicap friendly bus would fare during the sardine packed peak rush hours.

singapore essay handicap public transport