The Trinidad and To­ba­go Blind Wel­fare As­so­ci­a­tion ex­ec­u­tive of­fi­cer, Ken­neth Suratt, says the on­go­ing three-day maxi taxi strike has high­light­ed the unique chal­lenges faced by per­sons with dis­abil­i­ties when pub­lic trans­porta­tion ser­vices are dis­rupt­ed.

In a state­ment yes­ter­day, Suratt said the in­dus­tri­al ac­tion has ex­posed a re­al­i­ty that is of­ten over­looked in na­tion­al dis­cus­sions on trans­porta­tion.

“The planned three-day shut­down by maxi taxi op­er­a­tors has once again high­light­ed a re­al­i­ty that is of­ten over­looked in na­tion­al con­ver­sa­tions about trans­porta­tion: for many Per­sons with Dis­abil­i­ties (PWDs), pub­lic trans­port is not mere­ly a con­ve­nience, it is a life­line.”