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    Cities » Chennai Published: December 6, 2011 11:06 IST | Updated: December 6, 2011 11:06 IST Public transport still inaccessible Ajai Sreevatsan The Hindu (Clockwise from top left): Disability rights activist Rajiv Rajan arrives at the Adyar bus stop: one of the seven diabled-friendly MTC buses arrives at the stop: Rajiv Rajan boards the bus using the lift-like mechanism. Photos : K.V.Srinivasan Facilities not up to the mark, they say Arriving at the Adyar bus stop around noon on a sweltering Monday, Rajiv Rajan (38) joined a crowd of waiting passengers. He is unique among MTC's 56 lakh daily passengers. Mr. Rajan has cerebral palsy and his motor functions are heavily restricted. Being wheelchair-bound, he found it extremely difficult to even reach the bus stop. There was no ramp and the approach was filled with debris, as the bus shelter's surface had disintegrated. “What is the point of having a bus stop if it is difficult to access even for those who can walk?” he asks. The plan was to board one of MTC's newly launched disabled-friendly buses, which operates along route A1 (Thiruvanmiyur – Chennai Central). The wait began around 12.10 p.m. One bus was expected to arrive at the stop within the next 10 minutes. Mr.Rajan was hopeful. It was his public interest litigation filed before the Madras High Court in 2005 that set the ball rolling on the need to provide access to public transit for persons with disability. The Court ruled in 2006 that MTC must operate at least 10 disabled-friendly buses to start with. But only two such buses would ply on the city's roads for the next five years. “My PIL did not change much. Public transport is still very inaccessible for the disabled,” says Mr. Rajan. The Court also asked MTC to consider low-floor buses for the needs of the disabled. Though MTC has rolled out over 1,300 new buses since the 2006 ruling, none of them have any specific features to improve access for the differently-abled. As the bus did not arrive on time, Mr.Rajan started reminiscing about his recent trip to Seoul in South Korea. “Public transit and public places were so accessible there. You can go anywhere you want without support. So it is not something that can't be done. It is a question of attitude.” He says that there is no convergence of thought within and between government departments when it comes to issues relating to the rights of the disabled. Mr.Rajan says that bus conductors have still not been trained to not demand ‘luggage charges' from a wheelchair-bound person. “It happened as recently as two days ago. My wheelchair is like my leg. It is demeaning to buy an extra ticket for what, for me, is like a body part,” he says. By 1 p.m., the disabled-friendly bus still remained elusive. In the meantime, six regular A1 buses had come and gone. “The frequency of the service is once every two hours and even that is not reliable. How can I take it to catch a train or go somewhere on time?” asks Mr.Rajan with a smile. When the bus finally arrived at 1.20 p.m., it took a full three minutes for him to board the bus though he had a person to help. But he got down immediately, finding the lift-like mechanism unsafe. “I can easily rollback. There is no handrail or adequate space for the wheelchair's foot rest.” He says that unless a person with disability boards the bus at the terminus, where there will be enough time and adequate room inside the vehicle, the buses are pretty much unusable. Thus, he never got to use the bus that was specially meant for people like him. For the estimated one lakh disabled persons in the city, he says there is still room for hope. “Things can and will change. We have the required technology. But it has to start with a shift in mindset – that the disabled also deserve a dignified way of travelling.”

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    Cities » Chennai Published: December 6, 2011 11:06 IST | Updated: December 6, 2011 11:06 IST Public transport still inaccessible Ajai Sreevatsan The Hindu (Clockwise from top left): Disability rights activist Rajiv Rajan arrives at the Adyar bus stop: one of the seven diabled-friendly MTC buses arrives at the stop: Rajiv Rajan boards the bus using the lift-like mechanism. Photos : K.V.Srinivasan Facilities not up to the mark, they say Arriving at the Adyar bus stop around noon on a sweltering Monday, Rajiv Rajan (38) joined a crowd of waiting passengers. He is unique among MTC's 56 lakh daily passengers. Mr. Rajan has cerebral palsy and his motor functions are heavily restricted. Being wheelchair-bound, he found it extremely difficult to even reach the bus stop. There was no ramp and the approach was filled with debris, as the bus shelter's surface had disintegrated. “What is the point of having a bus stop if it is difficult to access even for those who can walk?” he asks. The plan was to board one of MTC's newly launched disabled-friendly buses, which operates along route A1 (Thiruvanmiyur – Chennai Central). The wait began around 12.10 p.m. One bus was expected to arrive at the stop within the next 10 minutes. Mr.Rajan was hopeful. It was his public interest litigation filed before the Madras High Court in 2005 that set the ball rolling on the need to provide access to public transit for persons with disability. The Court ruled in 2006 that MTC must operate at least 10 disabled-friendly buses to start with. But only two such buses would ply on the city's roads for the next five years. “My PIL did not change much. Public transport is still very inaccessible for the disabled,” says Mr. Rajan. The Court also asked MTC to consider low-floor buses for the needs of the disabled. Though MTC has rolled out over 1,300 new buses since the 2006 ruling, none of them have any specific features to improve access for the differently-abled. As the bus did not arrive on time, Mr.Rajan started reminiscing about his recent trip to Seoul in South Korea. “Public transit and public places were so accessible there. You can go anywhere you want without support. So it is not something that can't be done. It is a question of attitude.” He says that there is no convergence of thought within and between government departments when it comes to issues relating to the rights of the disabled. Mr.Rajan says that bus conductors have still not been trained to not demand ‘luggage charges' from a wheelchair-bound person. “It happened as recently as two days ago. My wheelchair is like my leg. It is demeaning to buy an extra ticket for what, for me, is like a body part,” he says. By 1 p.m., the disabled-friendly bus still remained elusive. In the meantime, six regular A1 buses had come and gone. “The frequency of the service is once every two hours and even that is not reliable. How can I take it to catch a train or go somewhere on time?” asks Mr.Rajan with a smile. When the bus finally arrived at 1.20 p.m., it took a full three minutes for him to board the bus though he had a person to help. But he got down immediately, finding the lift-like mechanism unsafe. “I can easily rollback. There is no handrail or adequate space for the wheelchair's foot rest.” He says that unless a person with disability boards the bus at the terminus, where there will be enough time and adequate room inside the vehicle, the buses are pretty much unusable. Thus, he never got to use the bus that was specially meant for people like him. For the estimated one lakh disabled persons in the city, he says there is still room for hope. “Things can and will change. We have the required technology. But it has to start with a shift in mindset – that the disabled also deserve a dignified way of travelling.”

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    Access Audit of Chennai MTC Buses 2013

    Uploaded by

    dlusouth
    Cities » Chennai Published: December 6, 2011 11:06 IST | Updated: December 6, 2011 11:06 IST Public transport still inaccessible Ajai Sreevatsan The Hindu (Clockwise from top left): Disability rights activist Rajiv Rajan arrives at the Adyar bus stop: one of the seven diabled-friendly MTC buses arrives at the stop: Rajiv Rajan boards the bus using the lift-like mechanism. Photos : K.V.Srinivasan Facilities not up to the mark, they say Arriving at the Adyar bus stop around noon on a sweltering Monday, Rajiv Rajan (38) joined a crowd of waiting passengers. He is unique among MTC's 56 lakh daily passengers. Mr. Rajan has cerebral palsy and his motor functions are heavily restricted. Being wheelchair-bound, he found it extremely difficult to even reach the bus stop. There was no ramp and the approach was filled with debris, as the bus shelter's surface had disintegrated. “What is the point of having a bus stop if it is difficult to access even for those who can walk?” he asks. The plan was to board one of MTC's newly launched disabled-friendly buses, which operates along route A1 (Thiruvanmiyur – Chennai Central). The wait began around 12.10 p.m. One bus was expected to arrive at the stop within the next 10 minutes. Mr.Rajan was hopeful. It was his public interest litigation filed before the Madras High Court in 2005 that set the ball rolling on the need to provide access to public transit for persons with disability. The Court ruled in 2006 that MTC must operate at least 10 disabled-friendly buses to start with. But only two such buses would ply on the city's roads for the next five years. “My PIL did not change much. Public transport is still very inaccessible for the disabled,” says Mr. Rajan. The Court also asked MTC to consider low-floor buses for the needs of the disabled. Though MTC has rolled out over 1,300 new buses since the 2006 ruling, none of them have any specific features to improve access for the differently-abled. As the bus did not arrive on time, Mr.Rajan started reminiscing about his recent trip to Seoul in South Korea. “Public transit and public places were so accessible there. You can go anywhere you want without support. So it is not something that can't be done. It is a question of attitude.” He says that there is no convergence of thought within and between government departments when it comes to issues relating to the rights of the disabled. Mr.Rajan says that bus conductors have still not been trained to not demand ‘luggage charges' from a wheelchair-bound person. “It happened as recently as two days ago. My wheelchair is like my leg. It is demeaning to buy an extra ticket for what, for me, is like a body part,” he says. By 1 p.m., the disabled-friendly bus still remained elusive. In the meantime, six regular A1 buses had come and gone. “The frequency of the service is once every two hours and even that is not reliable. How can I take it to catch a train or go somewhere on time?” asks Mr.Rajan with a smile. When the bus finally arrived at 1.20 p.m., it took a full three minutes for him to board the bus though he had a person to help. But he got down immediately, finding the lift-like mechanism unsafe. “I can easily rollback. There is no handrail or adequate space for the wheelchair's foot rest.” He says that unless a person with disability boards the bus at the terminus, where there will be enough time and adequate room inside the vehicle, the buses are pretty much unusable. Thus, he never got to use the bus that was specially meant for people like him. For the estimated one lakh disabled persons in the city, he says there is still room for hope. “Things can and will change. We have the required technology. But it has to start with a shift in mindset – that the disabled also deserve a dignified way of travelling.”

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    of 14

    By Disability Rights Alliance, Tamil Nadu Date of Audit: 13th & 14th May 2013

    JNNURM Low Floor Volvo A/c Buses.

    Accessible entrance

    An Overview

    Inside the Bus

    According to MTC, Chennai has 100 Low floor Kneeling Buses. Procured from Ashok Leyland

    Total Height of the bus from Floor is 20 inches. The bus kneels 9. This is operated By the driver.

    Height from floor after Kneeling is 11 inches


    11

    Details of features for persons with disabilities & measurements

    Entrance / width of the door is 50 inches

    Aisle 18 inches

    Seat to entrance =30 inches

    1.25 inches from the landing to the seating area

    11* 30 inches

    1 inch from the floor

    Issues with the existing features

    The ramp is steep and the 1inch raising of the ramp from the Floor makes it difficult for a person on wheel chair enter the bus.

    Bus Stop

    Suggestions: 1. Conductors shall be trained to support persons on wheel chair to Get into the bus. 2. The bus shall be parked as close to the bus stop platform so that The ramp becomes a connector between the bus and the stop Facilitating easy entrance. 3. The 1 inch raising due to the thickness of the ramp be smoothened. 4. Timing of stop over of bus shall be increased so that passengers With disabilities could have easy access to the service.

    Issues & Suggestions Continued

    1. Grab bar is out of reach once the ramp is unfolded for entr This makes it difficult for passengers with disability have a Safe entry.

    Suggestion: 1. Provision of grab bar adhering to the specifications. The Grab Bars should be slip resistant and should have a diameter of 30 to 40mm. 2. Assistance for persons with disabilities for safer and easy entry and exit must be available

    Issues & Suggestions Continued

    1. Lack of wheel chair locks. Page 8 of the guidelines for JNNURM low floor buses mandates for the same. 2. The seats are designed in such a manner that they fold Automatically. This will be difficult to access and use for People who have issues with balancing and stabilising. 3. The width of the seat is also not enough for people to use.

    Locally Designed Buses with Hydraulic Lifts

    Inside the Bus

    As an outcome of the Public Interest Litigation, MTC has modified 10 of its buses with the facility of hydraulic lift

    One of the doors has been modified for the provision of this facility.

    The lift is operated by the driver and It takes 55 seconds each to lift down And up the hydraulic lift.

    Details of the Hydraulic Lift Provision

    4 inches

    4 inches (Height of The platform from the floor)

    Issues 1. The ramp from the floor to the lift is too steep and persons with disabilities cannot enter The lift safely on their own. 2. One can see the depth of the lift and width is too tight for a standard wheel chair and the Lack of safety mechanism in the hydraulic lift makes it really unsafe for use. 3. No grab bar to hold. Suggestion 1. Provision of grab bar, 2. wheel chair locks, 3. Availability of assistance

    Details of the Hydraulic Lift Provision

    31 inches

    14 inches

    Details of the Hydraulic Lift Provision 29 inches Missing the extension to the platform

    28 inches

    30 inches

    Issues
    1. Lack of wheel chair locks. 2. Since the depth is limited it might be hazardous to other passengers due to the possibility of extension of foot rest of the wheelchair. Suggestions Provision of wheel chair locks Details of the space for passengers with disabilities Inside the bus

    36 inches

    31 inches 30 inches

    Other Observations 1. No signage or sign board indicating the fares for facilitating deaf persons and for People who are hard of hearing. 2. Lack of announcement of routes and tactile facilities for guiding people with Visual impairments to access and use the services. 3. Off the 10 buses with hydraulic lifts, the 3 buses we saw were not in working condition. 4. The team has not audited all the 10 buses. 5. The 100 Low floor A/c Volvo buses do not have signage indicating facilities for Persons with disabilities.

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