MEDIA RELEASE: Member Update – Taxi subsidy to continue post 30 June for another year
Queenslanders with Disability Network welcomes the Palaszczuk Government’s announcement to ensure the Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS) for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants continues post 30 June 2019 for another year. QDN members and our supporters have raised our concerns with both State and Commonwealth Governments about the unresolvedissue of the TSS and its impacts upon the lives of people with disability.
Queenslanders with disability need accessible transport options to enable their full social and economic participation in the community. This transport also provides people with access to the critical everyday needs to get to work, medical appointments, see family, do the grocery shopping and be part of the community. Deputy Premier and Treasurer, Jackie Trad, has announced today a further $6 million would be committed in 2019-20, to continue the subsidy payment.
Mr Nigel Webb, Chairperson, QDN Board of Directors said, “Accessible public transport remains a shared responsibility across Commonwealth, State, and Local Governments. The TSS was introduced by the Queensland Government in 1987 with the aim of providing accessible travel options for people with disability who experience profound difficulty in using other forms of public transport. I am very pleased that the Queensland Government has made this announcement to extend the scheme for another year for NDIS participants, whilst negotiations continue about funding.”
Mr Webb said, “The TSS is a vital subsidy that provides an accessible option in circumstances where there is a lack of accessible public and private transport options. It allows people with disability to have their rights upheld as a citizen of their community, and have transport options to be able to access vital services and support in their day to day life.”
QDN will continue to work with Local, State and the Commonwealth Government elected following the Federal Election on this Saturday 18 May to find a resolution to this issue that upholds the rights of people with disability. The NDIS provides many significant opportunities for 90,000 Queenslanders with disability to be able to access funded supports they need related to their disability, and 45,000 of these people will access this support for the first time in their lives. A key goal of the NDIS is for people to have increased social and economic participation and inclusion in their community. This goes hand in hand with accessible, affordable transport.
Queenslanders with disability are very pleased with this announcement and look forward to the timely resolution of this issue across Commonwealth and State to ensure people are not placed in positions of uncertainty about such vital transport services that impact upon their life.
For more information, contact Michelle Moss, QDN Acting Chief Executive Officer, 3252 8566 or mmoss@qdn.org.au