Chennai: Wheelchair user denied entry by MTC bus crew

CHENNAI: A passenger using a wheelchair was allegedly prevented from entering an MTC low-floor bus at the Alandur bus stop on Saturday evening, stating that the ramp was not working.

Disability Rights Alliance (DRA), an organisation working for people with disability, posted on social media that Sathish Kumar, a wheelchair user, was not picked up by the bus crew of 18AX, plying from Broadway to Kilambakkam, citing the non-working of a ramp on the new low-floor bus.

The DRA posted a video of the manual ramp and questioned how a manual ramp cannot work. It was also noted that it takes six seconds to open the ramp.

Sathish Kumar told DT Next that he travelled on MTC low-floor buses at least 10 to 15 times but was denied a ride on Saturday for the first time. “The driver of the 18AX said that the ramp was not working and left without picking me up at Alandur,” he said.

He also complained to the managing director and planning manager of the MTC and also registered a complaint on the toll-free number.

He urged the MTC to issue guidelines to the bus crews operating the low-floor buses to ensure seamless travel of persons with disability.

He noted that a few days back, a person was lifted physically when the ramp did not work on a 51AX bus route. Sathish also advised MTC to clean the ramp daily to avoid jamming due to rain mud. MTC officials, however, did not respond to the queries on the complaint filed by Sathish Kumar.