A visually impaired man became the first person with a disability to sit on the Jakarta Transportation Council as the capital swore in 15 new council members on Tuesday.

Jaka Ahmad, 36, from the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Association for the Visually Impaired (Pertuni), said that he would fight for the rights of all people with disabilities during his two-year term as a member of the council known as DTKJ.

“I want to be proactive and give suggestions so we can have a decent transportation system for Jakartans with disabilities,” he said. “We think Jakarta’s mass transportation system is still far from accommodating disabled people’s needs.”

Jaka said that people like him often felt discriminated against by the capital’s transportation system because of the lack of assistance, signs and access to trains and buses across the city.

Activists say the condition hinders people with disabilities from traveling far from their homes, making it difficult for them to work or study.

Although the 2009 Transportation Law mandated special treatment for people with special needs, they continue to face discrimination, even harassment, from transportation operators.

Last year, five disabled people reported cases of discrimination against Lion Air after several air crews forced them to sign a letter stating that they were “sick people” and emphasized that the airline would not be responsible for them in the event of an accident.

Jaka said one of the few modes of transportation that does cater to some of their needs is the TransJakarta busway.

“Everyday I take public transportation to do my activities, especially the busway. I never have any trouble getting on the busway because they stop and drive to designated places in a dedicated lane,” Jaka said.

“But for some of my friends in wheelchairs, climbing the stairs can be a problem.”

Other modes of transport are less forgiving.

Jaka explained how some of his friends have become lost because train and bus operators never help them get on or off , nor do they advise disabled riders when they’ve arrived at their requested destinations.

“Public transportation that is friendly to people with disabilities has been running in places like Australia, Germany and England,” said the Sahid University graduate.

“I hope they can be implemented here in Jakarta or at least I can plant the seeds for them so that people with disabilities in the future will reap the fruits of my labor.”

Jaka is the first person with disability to sit on the DTKJ since it was established four years ago.