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Following is a question by the Dr Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (October 28):
Question:
It was reported that early this year a patient was not allowed to board public transport because she was carrying a portable oxygen cylinder. Moreover, an academic suggested such patients to choose travelling on Rehabuses. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether there are guidelines or relevant ordinances at present imposing restriction on people carrying portable oxygen cylinders travelling on public transport; if so, of the relevant details;
(b) whether it has plans to urge public transport operators to provide additional facilities, so as to assist people carrying portable oxygen cylinders in using public transport services; if it has such plans, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) of the existing number of Rehabuses and their utilisation rate; whether it had assessed in the past three years if the provision of Rehabus met the needs of the aforesaid patients, and of the relevant details?
Reply:
President,
(a) & (b) Compressed oxygen is one of the dangerous goods regulated under the Dangerous Goods Ordinance (Chapter 295). As such, passengers carrying portable oxygen cylinders on board various major modes of public transport are governed by the relevant legislations at present. On this premise, relevant ordinances impose different restrictions on different modes of public transport with regard to their operations and services.
Some passengers need to bring along bottled compressed oxygen on medical grounds and use public transport. According to our understanding, frontline staff of major public transport operators will follow their internal guidelines and codes to facilitate passengers who require assistance as far as possible, on the conditions that safety and normal services are not affected and where the relevant laws permit. Besides, the Transport Department has, from time to time, reminded major public transport operators to implement guidelines and provide training to their staff to facilitate passengers who require assistance in so far as the relevant laws permit.
(c) Under the Government's welfare programme, we have given funding support to a non-governmental organisation to operate Rehabus service for those persons with disabilities (PWDs) who have difficulties in using general public transport. Rehabus service provides point-to-point transport services for these PWDs to go to work and school, to receive vocational rehabilitation training or participate in other social activities.
The demand for Rehabus service is high. The Government reviews the service annually and accordingly will bid for additional resources for acquiring new buses having regard to the service demand. In the past three years, the Government procured 17 new buses and replaced 41 old buses. In 2009-10, the Government has allocated $7.7 million for the purchase of 6 new buses and 4 replacement buses, thereby increasing the fleet size of Rehabus to 115 vehicles. The patronage of Rehabus service is expected to increase from 590,000 passenger trips in 2006 to over 660,000 passenger trips in 2009.
At present, for those PWDs who have difficulties in using general public transport, e.g., wheelchair users, they can bring along with them their essential life-supporting equipment, such as portable oxygen concentrators, portable oxygen cylinders, when travelling on rehabus provided that the quantity of such gas is within the limits of storage or conveyance stipulated in the Dangerous Goods (General) Regulations, Chapter 295B, Laws of Hong Kong. According to available information, Rehabus has provided transport service for those PWDs travelling with the above mentioned life-supporting equipment. However, statistics on the number of these passengers is not available, and no specific assessment on the service demand of these group of persons has been made.
Ends/Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:45
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