Differently abled student petitions for inclusive bus service

Surya Prakash, who attends a school for special children in Chennai, has a tough walk from the bus stop to his school, every day. “Attending school has become very difficult for me because of a 300 meter walk. My school is one of the few schools with facilities for disabled students. To get to school my friends and I use public transport. The nearest bus stop is 300 meters away. While that may not be far for most people, I have mobility challenges and I and many others like me also find it hard to walk,” he says, in a petition filed on change.org. 

The petition, apart from seeking an alteration of the route of a small bus, whereby it stops directly at the school gate, also has a request to MTC officials to reassess the bus routes in the city to ‘make it convenient and safe for other people with disabilities.’ 

Kannan (15), a physically challenged person, who studies at a school on ECR can relate to Surya Prakash’s struggle.“It is impossible for me to board the bus when it is crowded and even otherwise, the conductor or driver do not bother to check if the person has boarded the bus before they blow the whistle or start the vehicle. It is unsafe; I have started taking private autos and it’s expensive,” he says. 

Leelavathi, a teacher at Life Help Centre for the Handicapped, says “Physically challenged need helpers who can help them get into the bus. Without any provisions for access, people on crutches or wheel chairs cannot avail public transport. Redesign buses,” he says. 

The public transport has always been out of bounds for the disabled, says TMN Deepak of the December 3 Movement, a disabled person and an activist. 

He says, “It doesn’t end with buses picking them up from their homes or dropping them outside schools. There is one seat reserved for those with disabilities, but they are unavailable on many buses.” 

An MTC official said that the department is working on making public transport disabled-friendly. “However, since those with disabilities are scattered across the city, it is difficult to reassess the routes,” he said.