Only a fraction of buses in the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) are friendly to the differently-abled.
In response to a question by Rajya Sabha member Amee Yajnik on such buses across the State, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that of the of the 9,691 buses in the State, 122 friendly for the differently-abled. This means that only 1.25% of the TSRTC’s buses are friendly for the differently-abled.
The data furnished pointed out that there are 61 State transport undertakings (STUs) with a total of 1,45,747 buses, of which 51,043 are friendly for the differently-abled. This includes 8,695 fully disabled accessible buses, the data clarifies. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation has the highest number of disabled accessible buses and there are around a dozen STUs in the country which have no disabled-friendly buses.
According to those who are aware of developments, the TSRTC’s friendly for the differently-buses include the 40 electric buses which run to and from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. The number of such buses, according bus enthusiasts, was higher, approximately 200, before the TSRTC strike of 2019, which included the Marcopolo buses, which were later converted into other services.
The Harmonised Guidelines and Standards (HGS) for Universal Accessibility prescribe that for buses to be accessible, they should be low floor, and with doors at least 1,200 mm wide. Buses should have handrails and footlights. Information on route and destination be displayed in large text and in contrasting colours.
In July, rights activist of the physically-challenged, Vaishnavi Jayakumar filed a petition after which the Madras High Court ordered that the Tamil Nadu government should buy public transport buses which adhere to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, its rules and the HGS.
TSRTC Managing Director V C Sajjanar told The Hindu that the corporation is aware of the issue. The TSTRC, he said, is studying the problem and is working on a solution. “It is a design issue and we are aware of the problem. Our engineers are on the job to work out ways to make buses friendly for the differently-abled,” he said.
