An investigation by Los Angeles television station KABC finds widespread evidence that bus drivers are putting the safety of wheelchair riders at risk and violating federal civil rights laws.

• Part 1: Wheelchairs on buses not always secured (with video)
• Part 2: Caught on tape: Wheelchair woes on MTA (with video)
• Part 3: MTA begins using tether straps on buses (with video)

In a two-month investigation, hidden cameras showed bus drivers were not properly securing wheelchairs and passengers. Undercover video showed broken equipment and drivers who said they were not trained, or too busy to help wheelchair riders secure their chairs as required by federal law. KABC found 957 accessibility complaints submitted to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) over the past 27 months.

In Part 2, a bus driver was not able to secure a passenger’s wheelchair and told her she would have to “hold on to the chair.” When she replied that she was not able to do so, the driver responded, “Yes, you can.”

“Every single day, they’re supposed to be checking their buses to see that they have that equipment,” said disability rights attorney David Geffen. “Somebody’s not doing their job at the MTA.”

This entry was posted on Friday, June 19th, 2009 at 10:09 am and is filed under ADA, NOT2BEMISSED, transportation, wheelchair. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.