The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has filed a clarification petition in the Madras High Court stating it will not be possible to ply 100% low floor buses in Tamil Nadu since the bus stop platforms, road gradient, speed breakers, bridges and other infrastructural requirements are not conducive for such buses.
MTC Managing Director A. Anu Abraham said the court had on July 5 disposed of a public interest litigation petition filed by activist Vaishnavi Jayakumar with a direction to ply all government buses in conformity with the Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities, 2016.
As per the harmonised guidelines issued by the Centre, the buses should be low floor, their doors should be at least 1200 mm wide, they must have handrail and footlight and an apparatus such as a hydraulic lift or pull-out/foldable ramp installed in the doorway for mobility aided users/prams. They should also have space for wheelchairs.
