Special Assistant for Disability Policy & Program Thomas J. Camacho, who also chairs the council, told reporters on Friday that people with disabilities and their families won’t stop advocating for House Bill 17-43 that Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, introduced a year ago.
The House passed the bill but the Senate has yet to act on it.
If it becomes a law, H.B. 17-43 will give the islands’ transportation providers a sustainable financial support. Camacho said.
It will also pave the way for “centralized planning and a coordinated and flexible system of transportation equally beneficial for all citizens and visitors in the commonwealth,” he added.
The Office of Transit Authority will review, apply, receive, manage and use federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In collaboration with other government agencies, the transit authority will assess the CNMI’s transportation needs and develop a viable public transportation system.
Camacho said H.B. 17-43 will remove “attitudinal and architectural barriers through public education and awareness, provide people with disabilities public transportation to a great extent and improve rights-of-way for people with disabilities.
The bill, moreover, will bring in revenue and create jobs, he added.
