Is Mumbai's public transport accessible to the differently-abled? Part 2

Photo credit: Bayar Jain

Prathamesh Bendre, who is visually impaired has travelled by all the modes of public transport Mumbai offers.  He says that the The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) provides free tickets to the differently-abled and is compensated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Thus, they do not see them as customers and often do not stop for them. They are treated as second-class citizens. He can also supersede the railway ticketing queue and this leads to resentment among other commuters. He says, “Just because I am visually impaired that does not mean I am not physically fit.” Technology can avoid such resentment as the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) application is accessible to the differently-abled to book tickets.

He also differentiates between what mode of transport he prefers and what is cost effective. While he prefers the metro, it comes at a higher cost. “Twice when I travelled alone by the metro, I was provided assistance by security personnel at the ticket counter to the platform as well as when I got down at Ghatkopar. The metro is equipped with braille signs and markings to indicate turns,” he adds.

(In pic) Prathamesh Bendre, a visually challenged commuter.

 Photo credits : Dhawal Bumb

Bendre suggests applications like M-indicator should include a voice feature that notifies which train would appear at what platform and any changes in the schedule.  “Suppose the indicator changes from Virar to Borivali, I wouldn’t know and would be at a disadvantage if I got in. However, people in Mumbai are friendly and are willing to help. If I board the general compartment, they ensure I get down safely,” he adds.

However, Patil, who has had unpleasant experiences with abled commuters, thinks that the number of handicapped compartments in trains should be increased to four coaches. Station manager at CST, Kutty Krishnan disagrees as he doesn’t think the number of differently abled commuters is large enough to meet the demand.

Badami acknowledges that the railways are overcrowded and proposes an alternative such as the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) being used in Bogotá, Columbia. He says that these buses would have protruding ramps or level boarding, ensuring accessibility to the differently abled. He believes that persons with disabilities have the right to a meaningful life and one step in this direction is designing accessible public transport.

With accessible transport like the metro being expanded, Bagasrawala feels social media can increase empathy on its platforms online which could then transfer to platforms in real time. So that while travelling, individuals like Dsouza, Bagasrwala, Bendre and Patil can hum, aye dil hai aasan jeena yahaan, suno mister, suno bandhu, yeh hai bombay meri jaan. (O heart, it is easy to live here, listen mister, listen friend, this is Mumbai my love.)