Seniors, disability groups say GRT strike greatly impacts members

As Grand River Transit workers enter their second day on the picket line, local seniors and disability groups say the strike is impacting their members’ ability to get around the city and access programing.

Executive director of KW AccessAbility, Edward Faruzel, told CBC News they are pausing the organization’s in-person programming and services as long as the strike continues.

“I can’t go to work, our members can’t come to our programs, they can’t go shopping or to the doctors, or do anything because they rely on transportation,” he said.

“The staff at KW AccessAbility, we all rely on Grand River Transit. So it’s not just the members. It’s staff too.”

Grand River Transit provides transit service in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Elmira, St. Jacobs and New Hamburg.

Faruzel said that for many members accessing KW AccessAbility, the strike has been a flashback to the height of the pandemic, when people couldn’t leave their homes. He worries the strike might also impact members’ mental health.

Faruzel said public transit should become an essential service for people, because for his members, alternate modes of transportation — like getting a ride from a friend or a cab or riding the ION — are often not an option.

“Somebody that’s in a wheelchair, even if they had a friend who would want to come and pick them up, they can’t get the wheelchair in the person’s car,” he said.

Many people with disabilities are also on a fixed income, so the cost of a cab “is huge,” Faruzel said, adding there are also less than a dozen accessible cabs available in Kitchener-Waterloo.

Faruzel said his organization will try to continue to support members where they can virtually as the strike continues.

Impact on seniors

It’s a similar story for many seniors in the community who rely on public transportation to get their groceries or to an appointment, said Mikael Beijbom, with Mayor’s Advisory Committee for Kitchener Seniors (MACKS) and Waterloo Region Age Friendly Network.

“They may have lost their licence because of age or health conditions, and so they become more dependant on public transit,” he told CBC News.

He added the cost of a cab can also impact seniors on fixed income and many may also not be able to rely on a friend or family member for a ride if they have jobs.

“If your friends all have regular working jobs, working like 9 to 5, how can they drive you at 10 a.m. for an appointment?” he asked.

Beijbom said he wants to petition the region to have an alternative mode of transportation for people with mobility issues and those with disabilities who rely on services like Grand River Transit’s MobilityPlus.

Public health vaccination bus affected

Region of Waterloo Public Health says the strike has also impacted its neighbourhood bus clinics.

These clinics provide people with easy access to vaccines in their community. Public health said this week’s clinics will take place inside community buildings instead.

Public health has a list of locations and schedules on its website.

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