Ramp access in only 10 out of 765 bus stops in Chennai: Disability Rights Alliance writes to GCC

CHENNAI: Reacting to the tenders floated by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to renovate, operate, maintain and transfer bus shelters in the city, the Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) has alleged that the tender’s design violates the disability laws and the directions of the Madras High Court (MHC)

Raising concerns and also suggesting that the infrastructure must meet the required guidelines, Vaishnavi Jayakumar, a DRA member, had written to the Additional Chief Secretary and GCC commissioner J Radhakrishnan.

Additionally, the letters have also been sent to higher officials in the departments such as Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA), MTC, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and to the transport secretary. In the letter, DRA highlighted that there has been no action regarding the directions of MHC on city bus stands’ design.

“It is unfortunate that over a year after the comprehensive instructions issued by the Madras High Court, and close to two years after the legal deadline for retrofitting India’s infrastructure, there has been no progress in correcting existing bus shelters for wheelchair accessibility,” the letter stated.

Meanwhile, the MHC in April 2023 directed that the bus stops should be scientifically designed to suit the requirements of the disabled. Henceforth, any development or reconstruction or repairing or improvement in any of the bus stops should include and focus in making it disabled friendly, with due facility for the wheelchair to go into the low floor bus, directly from the platform.

Additionally, the court further directed special training to be imparted to drivers and conductors of these low floor buses: firstly, to be patient enough to stop the bus and assist wheelchair users and/or disabled persons to get in and alight from the buses at their appropriate destinations, the letter highlighted.

The GCC floated two tenders – both in March – to renovate, operate, maintain and transfer bus shelters in all 15 zones, for eight years and six months. Meanwhile, the tender document itself mentions that only 10 bus stops out of 765 surveyed in 2023 have ramp access.

“And, despite this survey’s findings (that far from 100% retrofitted, accessible bus shelters post June 15, 2022, legal deadline, only 1 in 100 bus shelters in Chennai have wheelchair ramp access), the tender’s drawings provide a ramp only for the 3 pole bus shelters – less than half of the 765 bus shelters in the Rs 29 crore tenders,” the letter detailed.

Furthermore, DRA also has made specifications and standards for renovation of bus shelters such as handrails made of stainless steel ASTM 304 grade in the bus shelters parallel to the kerb, and, suitable kerb be constructed to facilitate ease of boarding and alighting of passengers, particularly disabled and senior citizens.

“The gradient of a kerb ramp should not be steeper than 1:12 and the flared sides should not be more than 1:10. (Harmonized guidelines 2021),” the letter added.