Human Rights Day rings hollow for disabled residents still stranded by transport barriers

A joint media statement by the Western Cape Network on Disability, #UniteBehind and Disability Revolution.

On 21 March, South Africans marked Human Rights Day, commemorating the struggle for dignity, equality, and freedom. Across the country, people gathered at events, community spaces, and commemorations to reflect on and celebrate the rights enshrined in our Constitution.

Yet for many persons with disabilities in Cape Town, the day served as a stark reminder that rights on paper do not always translate into rights in practice.

Accessible and reliable transport remains one of the most fundamental requirements for exercising basic constitutional freedoms. When disabled people cannot travel safely and independently, rights such as freedom of movement, access to healthcare, participation in public life, and even the ability to attend events celebrating Human Rights Day itself become effectively out of reach.

For many Dial-a-Ride users, the ongoing crisis surrounding the service has meant exactly that. While others were able to attend Human Rights Day commemorations, community gatherings, or simply spend the public holiday with family and friends, many disabled residents were left isolated at home, unable to travel because of the instability and uncertainty surrounding accessible transport.

The Dial-a-Ride crisis

The Western Cape Network on Disability, together with #UniteBehind and Disability Revolution, has been actively engaged in responding to the Dial-a-Ride crisis since August 2025, when the City of Cape Town announced significant reductions to the service. In response, the organisations mobilised alongside service users and partners across the disability sector to challenge the decision and defend the transport rights of disabled residents.

Public mobilisation included a protest of approximately 300 people on 25 August 2025, where a braille list of demands was handed over to City representatives in response to inaccessible communications regarding the service changes.

At the same time, legal action was initiated through the People's Legal Centre, with an urgent High Court application challenging the cuts as unlawful, discriminatory, and unconstitutional. As part of a settlement reached in September 2025, the City agreed to suspend the proposed cuts, reinstate services pending review, and reverse reductions that had already been implemented, preventing immediate harm to users while the matter proceeds through the courts.

A formal review application was subsequently filed in October 2025 to test the lawfulness of the City's decision-making process. The City has since submitted its Record of Decision, and further documentation has recently been provided as the matter continues to progress.

A broader fight for accessible transport

While the Dial-a-Ride case focuses on a specific decision affecting the service, it has also exposed broader systemic challenges in accessible transport. The crisis has become a springboard for wider advocacy on mobility rights, including national engagement through the recent petition to Parliament, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable and inclusive transport solutions for persons with disabilities across South Africa.

Accessible transport is not a luxury or a special accommodation. It is a precondition for the exercise of many other rights.

Rights must be real

Human Rights Day reminds us of the values at the heart of South Africa's democracy. But for those who remain unable to move freely through their own city, those rights remain incomplete.

WCND, #UniteBehind, and Disability Revolution remain committed to working with partners across civil society, government, and the disability sector to ensure that the rights promised in our Constitution are realised in practice. The organisations will continue to pursue the legal process while advocating for long-term solutions that ensure disabled residents can travel safely, independently, and with dignity.

Human rights cannot be celebrated if they cannot be exercised.