ENHANCING AVAILABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF SEAMLESS WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL OPTIONS AND EXPANDING LIST OF ELIGIBLE DESTINATIONS BEYOND HOSPITALS

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1125

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 04 JULY 2022

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Yip Hong Weng

MP for Yio Chu Kang

Question No. 1759

To ask the Minister for Health in view of Singapore’s ageing population and increasing number of residents who require wheelchair accessibility, whether the Ministry will work with all private-hire transport platforms to (i) increase and regulate the availability and affordability of seamless wheelchair-accessible travel options and (ii) expand the list of eligible destinations for such services beyond just hospitals.

Answer

The Government supports seniors and residents who require wheelchair-accessible transport through various schemes including the Medical Escort and Transport service under the Ministry of Health (MOH).

MOH and MSF also subsidise the cost of transport for seniors, including those on wheelchairs, to attend Government-funded senior and disability programmes through the Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) Centre Based Transport services and VWO Transport Subsidy schemes.

Beyond means-tested transport services, there are private transport operators that provide point-to-point services for wheelchair users. Availability and cost of these services may be subject to private operators’ business decisions.

MOH will continue to monitor the range of accessible transport options for seniors on wheelchairs, to ensure that they can receive appropriate care and services.