Aus4Transport and its commitment to leaving no one behind: Supporting the development of Universally Accessible Transport in Vietnam
IN BRIEF
The Aus4Transport Program, together with the Institute of Transport Strategy and Development (TDSI), have just achieved an impressive milestone in the activity “Building Capacities for Transport Authorities to Enhance a Universally Accessible Public Transport Network (ATS)” by successfully delivering the first training workshop in late April.
The workshop, which involved more than 100 delegates from the four project provinces, took place on April 25 in a combined face-to-face and online meeting. The long-awaited event had an attendance rate of 98%, showing, once again, strong interest and commitment from all relevant transport agencies, stakeholders, civil society and NGOs. With this innovative activity, Aus4Transport is supporting the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and transport authorities to develop a universally accessible transport system in Vietnam that will provide opportunities for equal access to public transport for the most vulnerable.
KNOW MORE…
Public transport systems play a vital role in providing mobility and accessibility to the citizens of any country. That is why, accessibility to public transport for vulnerable users is a key measure of the effectiveness of the transport system, whereas public transport that is inaccessible acts as another barrier to social inclusion. This is especially true for people with disabilities, for whom the lack of suitable public transport is depriving them from accessing life-changing opportunities in education, employment, healthcare, housing or community life, and directly affecting their ability to reach their full potential as human beings.
With gender equality, disability, and social inclusion as top priorities for Aus4Transport, the Program is proud to be involved in the activity “Building Capacities for Transport Authorities to Enhance a Universally Accessible Public Transport Network (ATS)”, supporting the Vietnamese Government to improve the well-being and livelihood of a significant proportion of the Vietnamese population, including the elderly, passengers with children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.
Accessibility becomes even more important as we consider the quite staggering prevalence and impact of disability in Vietnam. According to the Vietnam’s first national survey on disability undertaken in 2019, there are approximately 6.2 million people with disabilities (PWD) in the country, accounting for 7% of the population. In addition, nearly 12 million people, or 13% of Vietnamese people, live in a household with a person with a disability. Unfortunately, this already high rate is expected to increase in the coming years as the population ages. It is no surprise that these figures have raised concerns, especially as it means that a great number of vulnerable people are currently struggling to enjoy a better life and facing numerous difficulties integrating into society. Universally accessible public transport plays a crucial role when it comes to achieving an inclusive society, supporting vulnerable people to improve their lives by enjoying equal rights and opportunities.
The ATS training workshop, jointly organised by TDSI and Aus4Transport, constitutes a remarkable milestone in promoting the understanding and implementation of universally accessible design in Vietnam. The event created an opportunity for open discussion among all participants, raising awareness about the current accessibility status of public in Vietnam, and highlighting the remaining issues, challenges and bottlenecks that need to be resolved. The workshop was a big success, with more than 30 questions received during the training session, showing the high level of interest from the participants and their eagerness to understand more about the concept of universal design and its implementation possibilities.
The ATS activity aims to improve knowledge, change attitudes of local authorities towards PWDs, and encourage liaison with civil society to better understand challenges faced by PWD and empower them to find solutions. Through this activity, Aus4Transport is assisting transport agencies to better understand and effectively implement the comprehensive transport laws and regulations that are already in place in Vietnam and that aim to ensure that accessible transport systems and infrastructure are available for people with disabilities and those with mobility issues such as the elderly. By promoting accessible, affordable and reliable transportation, Aus4Transport, the transport infrastructure initiative of the Australian Government in Vietnam, continues to contribute to sustainable economic development and poverty reduction in the country.
