Special Needs Transport
- Special Needs Student Transport
- Easy Access Buses for Mobility Impaired Passengers
- Compliance to the Disability Discrimination Standard
Special Needs Student Transport
The Northern Territory Government's Department of Planning and Infrastructure in partnership with the Department of Education and Training (DET) provides transport assistance to and from school for eligible Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Students with special needs who attend Special Schools and Special Education Annexes / Units.
Eligibility is determined by the Department of Education and Training.
Students who are eligible for special needs transport receive a door to door service and are picked up from their nominated location, by either a taxi or a special needs bus, taken to their school and returned at the end of the school day.
Special needs transport is for students whose mobility and / or safety needs prevent their travelling independently to and from school. These mobility and safety needs will often be rated to physical and medical conditions, learning disabilities and / or behavioural difficulties that prevent independent travel.
The buses are crewed by a driver and a transit carer who are briefed on the special needs of each student, however medication services are not provided by the transport service providers. The delivery of medication to the school will not be the responsibility of the transport service provider. Administration of medication en-route is prohibited.
The safety of students using the transport service is a priority which requires the collaborative effort of parents / carers, schools, Student Services Division, transport service providers, drivers, transit carers and the Public Transport Division.
Full copy of the code and flow charts click below:
Transport for Students with Special Needs - Code of Good Practice
Flowcharts - Special Needs Transport
For more details contact DET Student Services on 8999 8724 or your school.
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Easy Access Buses for Mobility Impaired Passengers
"Making Life Easier"
A majority of the public bus service fleet are serviced by "Easy Access" buses fitted with low floors and ramps to accommodate access for the majority of wheelchairs or motorised scooters, and this list continues to grow as our fleet of new buses increases.
What does "Easy Access" mean?
- Low-floor design to provide easy access for all passengers, especially the elderly, people with disabilities, parents or carers with prams and passengers carrying awkward loads.
- Driver activated and manual ramps and kerbside "kneeling" action to bring the floor closer to ground level, and reduce the angle between floor and kerb, improving wheelchair and pram access.
- Strategically located handrails, bus stop button assists the mobility of frail passengers or those with a disability.
- Provision for two wheelchairs or prams in the "Priority Seating" areas.
- Larger, more prominent destination signs on the exterior of the buses to provide better visibility in order to hail the bus.
- A special button in the priority seating area to enable those with limited upper body strength to signal when it is their stop.
- Skid-resistant flooring in the Priority Seating area to reduce the amount of movement of wheelchairs while the bus is in motion.
- Air-conditioning.
Some helpful tips and reminders:
- For increased stability and safety whilst travelling on the bus, position your wheelchair so that you are directly facing the back of the bus, i.e. facing the opposite direction of travel.
- All wheelchairs and mobility aids must be fitted with a brake, and that brake must be used to hold the device in one position while travelling on the bus.
- The minimum allowable width of a ramp is 800 mm.
- Weight of person and mobility aid device not to exceed 200 kg.
- The minimum allocated space for a single wheelchair or similar mobility aid is 800 mm x 1300 mm.
- Please ensure that if your wheelchair has been fitted with a roof or sun shade that is does not extend higher than the wheelchair or mobility aid, or you will not be able to board the bus.
- Always follow directions by the driver so your trip is safe and enjoyable.
If you have a need for an Easy Access bus, arrangements can be made with the Public Transport Division by phoning 8924 7666, Monday to Friday 6:45am to 4:30pm, and Saturday 9:00am to 1:00pm (closed Sundays and Public Holidays) to arrange for an Easy Access bus to be on a particular service. Please note that a minimum of 24 hours notice is required.
Please note: This facility may not be available where an articulated bus is specifically rostered to accommodate high patronage levels on particular routes, and in the case of breakdowns and unforeseen circumstances.
Compliance to the Disability Discrimination Standard
All States and Territories have a requirement to comply to specific pieces of Federal Legislation. One such piece is the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) as amended from time to time, and it’s associated Standards.
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) seeks to eliminate discrimination ‘as far as possible’ against people with disabilities. To view or download the (DDA) Act click here and select what file type you wish to view.
The associated Standards; Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002, purpose is to enable public transport operators and providers to remove discrimination from public transport services. View the Standards.
The Northern Territory Taxi fleet currently has approximately 15% of the entire fleet as Accessible Taxis.
The attached table lists 30 items and their respective compliance level requirement for December 2007.
Table of compliance levels.