Auckland Transport (AT) is under fire for a social media post promoting the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on a weekend when all trains in the city were cancelled - causing accessibility issues for those with limited mobility.
The post reads, "This Saturday, we're teaming up with Auckland One Rail to Support International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
"We're encouraging those who are able-bodied to support others, share space with others and celebrate our customers with disabilities."
The promotion caused a stir online, with a number of people calling out AT for their poor timing given trains were not running over the weekend.
For those with disabilities, cancelled trains can be inconvenient as buses, which replace trains when services are cancelled, are significantly less accessible.
Auckland councillor for Waitākere Shane Henderson has written an open letter to AT's acting chief executive Mark Lambert, calling the promotion "offensive and inconsiderate".
Henderson told 1News that he sent the letter after several constituents told him about their frustration with AT.
He wrote in his letter, "I have received several complaints from constituents about this promotion. I must question the wisdom of this being promoted on a weekend when all train services were cancelled.
"It is particularly offensive in my view given the problems our West Auckland disabled community has faced with the Henderson Train Station, with the escalators broken for a long time and lifts periodically out as well."
One of the constituents, Sharon Davies, contacted Henderson after a negative experience using a rail replacement bus service.
Davies uses a wheelchair to get around. She is a regular user of public transport and said that while difficult, the buses offered to replace trains are as accessible as they can be.
She told 1News that on Saturday, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the bus that arrived in place of her train was an older model and was inaccessible to people in wheelchairs.
Since she needed to be somewhere and couldn't wait for a better bus, she had to be "manhandled" aboard by the driver and another passenger.
"It makes me absolutely frustrated," she said.
Davis said that she had just seen the Auckland Transport and One Rail promotion the day before the incident.
She found it inappropriate for Auckland Transport to be making claims of inclusion when people with disabilities struggle aboard public transport daily.
"There was a real disconnect for me," she said.
"Here I am, trying to work the system every day of my life, putting back into the community, and I can't even get into it.
"In all honesty, I'm tired; I've been doing this for decades; I've been fighting for my own rights but also the rights of other people. The system and the people in it talk about how we've got to be accessible, but in the 21st century, we can't keep talking about."
Davies doesn't just carry this sentiment; Disability advocate Huhana Hickey feels the same way.
Hickey has multiple sclerosis - she uses a powerchair and has a support dog; she can't fit on the bus.
"I have a giant powerchair which buses are just too small for; when the trains are out, people with disabilities have to change their routines because there's no way for us to get around," she said.
"It's hard to get places, especially around Christmas time."
She called AT's post hypocritical and offensive.
"We've been dealing with inadequate access around Auckland for people with disabilities for a long time - it's hugely offensive; they just don't seem to understand how offensive it is."
"We've got a UNCRPD which gives us the right to freedom of movement; we can't catch a train from one city to the next, can't catch buses, and local transport is abysmal."
Hickey believes that she and other people's human rights are being infringed upon when it becomes difficult to take public transport.
"I can assure you our human rights are definitely being infringed in a number of areas, including legislation which is harmful to us, but non-disabled don't give a s***.
"They have been trying to do this to us for a long, long time, and they've succeeded to a certain extent,"
Both Davis and Hickey want to see significant changes in how Auckland Transport operates - allowing for better accessibility.
One of the leading suggestions both women made was to give a more prominent voice to people with disabilities regarding public transport discussions.
Auckland Transport responds
AT said they are aware of the frustration surrounding the post's timing and aim to do better in the future.
"We acknowledge that the timing of our post has caused some frustration, and we will make sure that we're more sensitive about accessibility issues like this in future," an Auckland Transport spokesperson said.
They said that during planned rail closures, Auckland Transport tries its best to provide alternative methods of travel to allow everyone to get around.
"This often includes dedicated wheelchair-accessible vans, plus any additional options which may be identified through our ongoing engagement with the Public Transport Advocacy Group (PTAG).
"Ambassadors from our rail operator Auckland One Rail (AOR) were also at stations to assist passengers over the weekend.
"The process for customers with wheelchairs or mobility scooters, which are too big to bring on buses, is that they can phone our Contact Centre on 09 366 6400 and book a free mobility taxi," a statement read.
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