South Australians with disabilities say a measure by the state government to increase subsidies for accessible taxis is not enough amid fears the death of a Tasmanian man left waiting for a cab could be repeated.
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Adelaide has limited wheelchair-accessible public transport and not enough access taxis, meaning disabled riders must often wait hours for a ride or even risk being stuck without a way home at all.
Disability advocate and wheelchair user Belle Owen says being made to wait up to two hours on a night out or to get a ride to a hospital is more than just an inconvenience.
"I have been in situations where I've feared for my safety," she told AAP on Tuesday.
A Tasmanian coroner on Monday found the death of 78-year-old Robert William East, who fell down an embankment after losing control of his electric wheelchair, could have been prevented if an accessible taxi had been able to pick him up.
Instead, Mr East attempted to make the difficult two-kilometre journey from his local pub after he was forced to wait 90 minutes for a cab.
"This is the worst-case scenario, this is what we keep saying can happen," Ms Owen said.
"It's not just wasted time; it's wasted lives.
"The government keeps talking about us as a vulnerable population, but we're not vulnerable by default because we're disabled. We're made vulnerable by systems that fail us when safeguarding is not in place and this is the outcome of that.
"It's crushing."
South Australian Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis over the weekend extended a $25 per ride lifting fee subsidy to all access taxi users, beyond the 70 per cent who had been eligible under the South Australian Transport Subsidy Scheme.
Ms Owen said broadening access to the lifting fee was simply a "band-aid over a bullet hole" and would not fix the root cause.
Mr Koutsantonis conceded the move would not solve the problem but said a review into the scheme would provide a comprehensive fix.
"We've got to get this right because people with disabilities are the ones who are the most vulnerable," he told ABC Radio.
Opposition transport spokesman Vincent Tarzia called on the government to expedite the review, which has already been under way for 12 months.
"We've got members of the disability sector that are still continuing to advocate for improved services," he told reporters.
"We've got drivers here that are still unable to make a reasonable living."
Mr Tarzia called for incentives that have been implemented in other states, including interest-free loans for drivers and raising the lifting fee to $50 or $60 per ride.
Driver Hugo Siu said the rising cost of living was leaving him and his comrades "at breaking point".
"Drivers are leaving the industry to be couriers or Uber drivers," he said.
"They just can't afford to serve the community because they can't earn enough."
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Australian Associated Press
