Stationed at disadvantage
On May 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 103 railway stations redeveloped under the ambitious Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), of which nine were from Tamil Nadu, renovated at a cost of Rs 66 crore.
While the scheme, launched in 2022, intends to redevelop over 1,300 stations in a phased manner, a key necessity of making these stations accessible to persons with disabilities (PwDs), which ought to have been taken on priority, has been largely given a miss in the nine stations in Tamil Nadu.
This is despite the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act making it mandatory for all government buildings to be disabled-friendly and ABSS including the same in its scope of work. Equipped with a checklist created with the support of the Freedom of Movement Support Coalition, a pan-India organisation working on transport equity, reporters of TNIE visited all the nine stations, often accompanied by PwDs, to check the improvements done in terms of accessibility.
Much to the disappointment, the reporters found that toilets were inaccessible or locked in all stations, Braille signs to help visually-impaired persons were absent in all stations, only one platform had step-free access in all stations, getting a wheelchair remains a struggle in eight stations, and tactile warnings were not installed as per standards in at least seven stations.
Non-availability of space and budget constraints was often cited as the reason for lack of lifts or bridges with ramps. However, even minor inexpensive things were not installed. For instance, improper installation of hand railings, lack of access to wheelchairs at the entrance, and non-availability of designated parking spot, were noticed in at least five stations, indicating inadequate consultation with PwDs during the redevelopment planning.
Another indication of the same was the installation of polished granite flooring in many places, including ramps, which can make them unsafe for not only PwDs but also the elderly. Here is a status check of all the nine stations.
Officials from Southern Railway said works will continue under ABSS, and issues in any stations would be addressed at the earliest.
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