A move to ban people in "dirty or stained clothing" from a city's public buses has been slammed as a cruel and discriminatory measure targeting the already disadvantaged.
The Northern Territory government has come under fire after new signs outlining the dress code went up inside buses around Darwin.
NT Infrastructure Minister Bill Yan backed the signs, saying dress and tidiness standards on buses had existed for some time.
He said the rule could apply to tradies covered in oil and grease getting on a bus and sitting on a seat after a day's work.
"Some poor person is going to come in after that and end up sitting on that seat and get covered in garbage," he told ABC Radio.
Mr Yan said bus drivers and transit safety officers had the right to say to passengers "you're dirty, you're very unclean, someone else is going to have to sit in that seat after you".
"It's about making sure all the buses are clean and tidy for every user, every day."
Mr Yan said there were mobile laundries all over Darwin where people could clean their clothes.
The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory criticised the dress code signs for sending a clear message to disadvantaged people they were not welcome on public transport.
"It is a cruel and discriminatory policy that unfairly targets people experiencing poverty, homelessness and mental ill health," CEO John Paterson said.
The "shameful" policy would disproportionately impact Aboriginal people, particularly those sleeping rough or without access to housing, laundry facilities, or appropriate healthcare, Dr Paterson said in a statement.
"This has nothing to do with public safety or hygiene. It's about exclusion."
Dr Paterson said one-in-five Aboriginal people in the NT experienced homelessness and the territory had 13 times the national rate of people sleeping rough.
"Public transport is a basic right for everyone in our communities regardless of whether you can access washing facilities or afford stable accommodation," he said.
Children's Ground, an advocacy group for Aboriginal children, said policies or practices that allowed discretionary exclusion based on appearance or perceived hygiene risk reinforced harmful stereotypes.
Many First Nations people, especially those living rough without access to basic washing facilities or clothing resources, were at risk of being excluded from public services, the group said.
"The government carries the responsibility to ensure that all public services operate without discrimination and with access and fairness," it said in a statement.
"That responsibility extends to making sure people can access transport with dignity and without fear of being turned away."
