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Svayam Accessibility Awards 2018 (Taiwan Edition) – Winner’s List

We are extremely happy to share that on the basis of recommendations of the Board of Jury, following organisations are being selected for bestowing the “Svayam Accessibility Awards 2018 (Taiwan Edition)” in different categories.

 Category: MOST ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT 

  1. Institute of Transportation, Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), Taiwan
  2. The Bureau of Transportation, Taichung City Government, Taiwan

Category: MOST ACCESSIBLE TOURIST ATTRACTION 

  1. North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration, Tourism Bureau, MOTC, Taiwan 

Category: BEST PRACTICE AWARDS

  1. Best Practice (Accessible Transport) : Bureau of Transportation, Tainan City Government, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
  2. Best Practice (Accessible Hospitality) : – OurCityLove Social Enterprise Co., Ltd., Taiwan
  3. Best Practice (Comprehensive rehabilitation & accessibility services for Persons with Disabilities)- Eden Social Welfare Foundation, Taiwan
  4. Best Practice [Accessible Transport (Taxi service)] – Joint Award to The Yulon Group, Taiwan and the OurCityLove Social Enterprise, Taiwan
  5. Best Practice (Rehabilitation of People with Intellectual Disabilities) – Children Are Us Social Welfare Foundation, Taiwan

Details of the Award Ceremony 

The award ceremony will be held on the sidelines of the 15th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for the Elderly and the Disabled Persons (TRANSED2018, Taipei),  as per the following details:  

Venue:  Banquet Hall, Taipei International Convention Centre (TICC),                                            1 Hsin-Yi Road, Section 5, Taipei 11049, Taiwan (ROC)

Date & Time:     14th November, 6 PM – 8 PM

Heartiest congratulations to all the Winners and we hope this award becomes another milestone to renew our commitments to achieve a better, liveable, sustainable and inclusive world for all of us!

Hashtags: Sustainable Transport, Svayam Accessibility Awards, Svayam Events, Svayam Press Releases, TRANSED Conferences, Transportation Research Board, urban mobility  Accessible Tourism, Accessible Transport, Svayam Accessibility Awards, Svayam Events, TRANSED2018 Conference

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Svayam Accessibility Awards 2018 Update- 10 entries shortlisted for finals!!

We are encouraged by an overwhelming response to the ‘Call for Nomination for Svayam Accessibility Awards 2018 (Taiwan)’. The Jury consisting of national and international experts have shortlisted 10 applications for final review.

Each of these applicants have proven record of mobility, transportation and accessibility related projects implemented in the territory of Taiwan on the thematic areas. The award ceremony will coincide with the 15th International conference on Mobility and Transport for the Elderly and the Disabled Persons (TRANSED2018, Taipei), scheduled to be held during 12-15 November 2018 at Taipei, Taiwan.

We thank our jury members for shortlisting the top 10 agencies/organizations. The names of finalist organizations with their respective categories are as below:

S.No. Names of Organization Category/categories
1 Children Are Us Social Welfare Foundation (CAREUS) Best Practice Project
2 The Bureau of Transportation, Taichung City Government Accessible Public Transport
3 Eden Social Welfare Foundation Best Practice Project
4 Yulon Group & OurCityLove Social Enterprise Taiwan Best Practice Project (Transport)
5 OurCityLove Social Enterprise Co., Ltd., Taiwan Best Practice Project (Hospitality)
6 Bureau of Transportation, Tainan City Government, Taiwan Accessible Public Transport
7 Institute of Transportation, MOTC Accessible Public Transport
8 Chiayi City Government Accessible Tourist Attraction/ Heritage Site
9 National Taiwan Museum Accessible Tourist Attraction/ Heritage Site
10 North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration, Tourism Bureau, MOTC, Taiwan Accessible Tourist Attraction/ Heritage Site

We congratulate all ‘Finalists’ who made it to this prestigious and coveted list. Keep your fingers crossed and watch this space for the final results to be declared on 14 Nov. 2018!!

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Svayam Accessibility Awards 2015 at Lisbon, Portugal

Awards Background

Svayam Accessibility Awards were instituted on 25 October 2010 to promote and recognize the concept of Accessibility & Universal Design in all spheres of our lives to make way for livable communities – in both rural & urban scapes. The awards are conferred on the organizations in the TRANSED hosting nation, that have shown consistent commitment towards providing accessible infrastructure for all. These awards play a pivotal role in providing the right impetus to the development of inclusive infrastructure, related policies & practices so that such initiatives are sustainable and meaningful.

Svayam Accessibility Awards 2015 ceremony were held on 30 July 2015 at Lisbon, Portugal on the sidelines of 14th International Conference on Mobility & Transportation for the Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED Conference, 2015). The Awards were given away by Ms. Sminu Jindal, Founder – Svayam during the official Gala Dinner ceremony of TRANSED 2015.

Jury/ Award Committee 2015

  • Ms. Ann Frye, Director, Ann Frye Ltd., U.K. and Member, International Activities Sub Committee of ABE 60, TRB
  • Prof. (Ms.)  Anabela Simões, Ergonomics Department, Technical University of Lisbon Portugal and Member, Research Sub Committee of ABE(60) TRB
  • Mr. Anuj Malhotra Chief Executive Officer, Centre For Green Mobility, India
  • Mr. Amit Bhatt, Strategy Head, Urban Transport, EMBARQ India
  • Dr. Billie Louise [Beezy] Bentzen, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Accessible Design for the Blind
  • Prof. (Ms.) Rosario Macario, Associate Professor of Transportation with Habilitation, University of Lisbon, Portugal  & Chair- Organizing Committee, TRANSED 2015 Lisbon
  • Mr. Russell Thatcher, Sr. Transportation Planner, TranSystems Corporation, Boston, USA and  Member & Former Co-Chair, ABE 60 Committee of TRB
  • Prof. (Ms.) Lalita Sen, Professor, Texas Southern University, Co-Chair, ABE 60 of TRB
  • Ms. Nina Frid, Director General, Canadian Transportation Authority, Canada & Co-Chair of the TRB International Committee.

Recipients of Svayam Accessibility Awards 2015

Porto City Hall, Portugal – Best Practice by a Municipality for their Project ‘Accessible Itinerary System (SIA)’ .  The award was  received by Arch. Ms. Lia Ferreira, Ombudswoman of Porto Municipality.

Architect Ms. Lia Ferreira, Ombudswoman of Porto Municipality receiving Svayam Accessibility Award 2015 from Ms. Sminu Jindal
Architect Ms. Lia Ferreira, Ombudswoman of Porto Municipality receiving Svayam Accessibility Award 2015 from Ms. Sminu Jindal, Founder Svayam

Citation:

Porto City Hall, through its Municipal Ombudsman for Citizens with Disabilities, successfully implemented this ‘Best Practice’ project titled ‘Accessible Itineraries System (SIA) Porto’ – portal that comes to help all the citizens, specially the ones with reduced mobility, optimizing itineraries that meet their needs.

The project maps the city, identifies the barriers to seamless & accessible mobility on city routes and addresses them with active citizen’s participation. In short, the project allows online consultation of optimized routes for accessibility (through map consultation), digitally calculated between two previously chosen points giving information not only about paths but also intermodal transportation connectivity, accessibility of important public buildings & spaces.

The project has been implemented with active partners like Associação de Surdos do Porto (ASP), Associação de Cegos e Amblíopes do Porto (ACAPO), Associação do Porto de Paralisia Cerebral (APPC) and Associação dos Deficientes das Forças Armadas (ADFA), plus Porto’s Metro and FEUP (Porto’s Engineering University).

Congratulations Porto City Hall!  For more photos, visit Facebook

2. Municipality of Lisbon, Portugal – Best Practice by a Municipality for their Project ‘Lisbon Accessible Pedestrian Plan’ .  The award was  received by Mr.  João Afonso,  Deputy Mayor for Social Rights, Lisbon Municipality.

Mr. João Afonso Deputy Mayor for Social Rights, Lisbon Municipality, receiving Svayam Accessibility Award 2015 from Ms. Sminu Jindal, Founder- Svayam
Mr. João Afonso, Deputy Mayor for Social Rights, Lisbon Municipality, receiving Svayam Accessibility Award 2015 from Ms. Sminu Jindal, Founder- Svayam

Citation

Municipality of Lisbon implemented the ‘Best Practice’ Project – titled ‘Pedestrian Accessibility Plan’ after its approval by the City’s Assembly, in February 2014, and is expected to be completed in 2017. The project follows a participatory approach throughout the Plan’s implementation, in the development and dissemination of data and tools, definition of priorities, and uptake of guidelines and solutions.

A key goal for the Plan is to change the way the City administration works. Therefore, while the majority of plan’s actions are being executed by several city departments, a special task force ‘The Pedestrian Accessibility Plan Team’ has been formed which is responsible for coordination, monitoring, technical support and a few very specialized actions. Mr. Pedro Homem de Gouveia, Architect is coordinator of Pedestrian Accessibility Plan Team.

The Plan has three overarching goals:

  • Prevent the creation of new barriers;
  • Progressively adapt existing buildings;
  • Mobilize the community to create a city for everyone.

Instead of budgeting & addressing all infrastructural barriers in one go, the Plan defines an effort rate. Every year the City will invest 3% of public works budget in the adaptation of public spaces (e.g. sidewalks, crosswalks, bus stops, etc.) and public buildings (elementary schools, museums and libraries, public markets, etc.). And it hopes to address most barriers by 2017 as per the current plan.

Community participation is considered as a key. A high value is put on the collection of quantitative and qualitative data on the needs, difficulties and preferences of persons with disabilities and the elderly population. This project creates a safe, accessible and free of obstacles route for all pedestrians.

Congratulations Municipality of Lisbon!  For More photos visit :  Facebook

3. Association Salvador,  Lisbon, Portugal – Best Practice by an NGO for promoting inclusive tourism through their website www.portugalacessivel.com. The award was being received by Mr. Salvador Mendes de Almeida, the Founder of Association Salvador.

Mr. Salvador Mendes de Almeida, Founder- Association Salvador receiving Svayam Accessibility Award 2015 from Ms. Sminu Jindal, Founder- Svayam
Mr. Salvador Mendes de Almeida, Founder- Association Salvador receiving Svayam Accessibility Award 2015 from Ms. Sminu Jindal, Founder- Svayam

Citation

Association Salvador is a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 by Salvador Mendes de Almeida that is dedicated to social integration and improving the quality of life of people with reduced mobility (especially those in wheelchairs).

The website portugalaccessivel.com is today a national reference guide in providing information about the physical accessibility in different types of spaces in Portugal, also proposing accessible itineraries and enabling interaction and exchange of experiences between community of people with motor disabilities.

It counts with almost 5000 audited spaces. At the same time, it is a tool to raise awareness among public and private entities to promote the importance of accessibility. In addition to the website, the Association has also created a mobile application available for iOS, Android and Windows Phones.

Congratulations Association Salvador!  For more photos, visit : Facebook

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Register for 14th International Conference on Mobility & Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED 2015) at Lisbon

Dear Colleagues,

The 14th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 28 to 31 July 2015.

The 14th TRANSED conference will be hosted by Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) at Universidade de Lisboa.

TRANSED 2015 will gather scholars, decision-makers, industry, and citizens with an interest in accessibility issues and how to improve it. TRANSED 2015 International Conference received the formal endorsement of representatives of all stakeholders, namely: Government, Public Administration, Foundation for Science and Technology, Universities, and Transport and Infrastructure Operators, who will support the conference in several aspects.

The conference is organized under the theme “Aim and manage to implement inclusive access for all”. Please visit the web site for the selection of topics.

TRANSED 2015 will be an excellent opportunity to gather and share knowledge on any sort of mobility restrictions/accessibility

Website: http://www.transed2015.com/

Registration:

https://pco.abreu.pt/CLIENTES/abreu/formularios/form_4731902542.php

Follow the TRANSED2015 on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/TRANSED-2015/487026641398455

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TRANSED2015

Download the mobile App:

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.xtourmaker.transed

IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/pt/app/transed2015/id993138260?mt=8

CONFERENCE VENUE

TRANSED 2015 will be held at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
http://www.gulbenkian.pt

ABOUT LISBON

Lisbon is a melting pot of cultures, flavours and spices. Lisbon is built on hills looking over the River Tagus. Modern and cosmopolitan, it is a great centre of culture and tourism, and a pleasure to discover on foot. Add to that its cultural diversity, laid-back feel and architectural time warp, and you have one of the most enjoyable cities in Europe.

Clean skies and the softness of its light are an integral part of the charm of this city. Seen from the river – one of the city’s many great viewpoints – Lisbon is an impressionist picture of low-rise ochre and pastel, punctuated by church towers and domes.

Several neighbourhoods offer interesting shopping areas of local flavour. Large, modern shopping malls with wide opening hours and easy access by public transport are also very popular.

One of the traditional centres of Lisbon’s nightlife is Bairro Alto, with its fado houses, restaurants and dozens of bars and clubs. After the riverside area was remodelled for Expo98, night life in Lisbon gained a new dimension both on east and west fronts.

People who want to get away from the city centre, however, can go with modern railways to Sintra or to Estoril and Cascais, about 30km away, with beautiful landscapes, urban settings and nice restaurants and bars.

Lisbon is a city that receives yearly a large number of visitors, both in business and leisure. Its offer of hotels is very strong, in all price categories, including some charming traditional units as well as large ones from most international chains.

Public Transport in Lisbon has recently undergone great improvements and includes underground, suburban trains and ferries, low floor buses and light rail, while maintaining in operation a small set of old tramway lines, among which the famous line 28, one of the icons of the city.

Day and Multi-day passes are available to enjoy the full public transport network without hassle.

For more information about Lisbon and tips on what to see, please visit the Tourism Bureau website: http://www.visitlisboa.com/

TOPIC AREAS

Conference theme:

“Aim and manage to implement inclusive access for all”

STREAMS:

The conference is organized in two streams of intervention, being:

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Practice and Experience:

All conference topics are very open and can be approached from any of the two referred streams. For each topic a number of sub-topics are open from the outset but others can be created. In addition, special sessions can also be envisaged and participants interested in organizing it should contact the Conference Chair for that purpose.

Topic A: Policy approaches for mobility needs and solutions for the ageing and disabled population
The demographic evolution of Society enables to foresee next decades with a substantial increase of ageing population with different degrees of disabilities. In addition, changes in patterns of living and more monoparental families are formed which represent users of temporary restrictions. Cities and regions must reflect in these changes and adjust their policies accordingly so that user needs are satisfied
Subtopics: 
      A1 – Meeting the needs of people with disabilities in light of changing demographics;
      A2- The economic and social implications of living and coping with disabilities;
      A3– Cases in policy actions: turning legislation into action.

Topic B: Restricted accessibility as an integrated part of mobility management.
Restricted accessibility or reduced mobility (different parts of the world use different designations) should not be managed as an isolated segment. This approach has led to exclusion of these groups of users despite providing them with increase quality of service. This approach must be changed towards a full integration of restricted accessibility in mobility management enabling citizens with temporary or permanent mobility to benefit from a complete inclusion in society. Mobility and accessibility are instruments for that inclusion.
Subtopics: 
         B1 – Defining and measuring accessibility;
B2 – Creating accessible urban environments;
 B3 – Restricted accessibility in urban transport: success stories;
B4 – Rural accessibility issues;
B5 – Transport contribution for inclusive tourism;
B6 – Ensuring joined approach to planning and delivery for door to door mobility;
B7 – Designing and delivering accessibility for major events (e.g. Olympics etc.).

Topic C – Finding solutions through innovation

Innovation is a wide encompassing concept with an extensive meaning that can go from organization of processes to invention of new technology. Today a major challenge in mobility management is to bridge from mass transit to the capillary needs of the different segments of users. Innovation is required to create new and flexible services that can complement the regular public transport and provide an effective seamless mobility chains for all users, with and without disabilities.

Subtopics 
        C1 – New technologies and tools;
        C2 – Engaging with users for flexible mobility solutions;
        C3 – Case studies of innovative approaches to restricted accessibility;
        C4 – New impairment realities (e.g. young families, monoparental families, ageing impairment, etc)

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New York City adopts new symbol of Access

Moving forward from a static and ubiquitous “handicapped” symbol – a blue and white logo of a person leaning back in a wheelchair known as the international symbol of access , which  has been under fire from disability activists who feel the logo paints disabled people as passive – the New York City has adopted a new international symbol of access. 

The Old Symbol
The old symbol of access was approved by the International Standards International Sign of Access adopted by ISO is considered as passive by disability activistsOrganization (ISO), and the symbol is generally placed wherever access has been improved for people with disability issues. It was first designed by Susanne Koefoed in 1968 – although she didn’t give the symbol a head. That was added a while later by Karl Montan.

The Accessible Icon Project  

The project has been pushing for an update to the symbol, one that is more modern, and that depicts a more active figure. According to the group, the original design focused too much on the wheelchair, rather than the person who’s sitting in it, and depicts that person as stiff and passive.

They say this is representative of the treatment that many people with disabilities have faced. “People with disabilities have a long history of being spoken for, of being rendered passive in decisions about their lives,” expresses the the group on its website.

 
“The old icon, while a milestone in ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) history, displays that passivity: its arms and legs are drawn like mechanical parts, its posture is unnaturally erect, and its entire look is one that make the chair, not the person, important and visible.” it says further. It wants to introduce a new design, one that is active and engaged, with a focus on mobility and movement, but still in line with other ISO-approved pictograms.
 
The new Icon of access
The new design has been created by designer Sara Hendren, who has engaged in a little guerrilla marketing over the years, including illegally stickering over the original design with this new one. In the beginning of their project, Sara Hendren and Brian Glenney stuck their new design over existing handicapped signs around Boston. 
Hendren’s new design looks more like a person wheeling him or herself independently. Hendren says the real goal of the campaign isn’t just to replace the existing symbol with her new design – it’s to get people thinking.
 
There’s a much bigger question to ask about who is abled and who is disabled and what we think about dependence and need,” she said. “I’m just trying to start a discussion where we reevaluate our assumptions and our attitudes.’
 
The new logo is a more active logo designed by activists at Gordon College in eastern Massachusetts. The NYC will start displaying the logo all over the city starting this summer.
 
 “It’s such a forward-moving thing,” said Victor Calise, commissioner of the New York mayor’s Office for People With Disabilities.
 
The movement initially started when the group behind the new logo started placing its stickers over old handicapped signs around the Gordon College campus, and eventually stickers of the final design were distributed throughout nearby Boston. While getting the logo around has largely been a “stealth operation” up to this point, visibility from the biggest city in the country should help it gain more traction. 
 
That will make a splash,” said Wayne Sailor, co-founder of disabled advocacy group TASH and professor of special education at the University of Kansas. “I predict it will be a real trendsetter.”
New Sign of Access that more "active"
New suggested Signage of Access that is more “active”
Icon Graphic Elements of New Access Sign

1 – Head Position

Head is forward to indicate the forward motion of the person through space. Here the person is the “driver” or decision maker about her mobility.

 2 – Arm Angle 

Arm is pointing backward to suggest the dynamic mobility of a chair user, regardless of whether or not she uses her arms. Depicting the body in motion represents the symbolically active status of navigating the world.

 3 – Wheel Cutouts 

By including white angled knockouts the symbol presents the wheel as being in motion. These knockouts also work for creating stencils used in spray paint application of the icon. Having just one version of the logo keeps things more consistent and allows viewers to more clearly understand intended message. 

4 – Limb Rendition

The human depiction in this icon is consistent with other body representations found in the ISO 7001 – DOT Pictograms. Using a different portrayal of the human body would clash with these established and widely used icons and could lead to confusion.

5 – Leg Position 

The leg has been moved forward to allow for more space between it and the wheel which allows for better readability and cleaner application of icon as a stencil.

 Sources: The Verge; LaughingSquid;  npr; Accessible Icon Project

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Svayam hosts side event “Funding Accessible Transport” at ITF 2013

Svayam- National Centre for Inclusive Environments, hosted a side event titled “Funding Accessible Transport” at the Annual Summit of International Transport Forum (ITF) held on 22 May 2013 at Leipzig, Germany.

Background Note

Most of the transport infrastructure to date have been manufactured/ designed without accessible features. The transportation systems in most of the developed countries too, are far from ideal let alone developing nations. Transport plays a crucial role in a nation’s development by providing access to facilities and services.

Enhanced mobility for the vulnerable groups is one of the most important preconditions for achieving sustained growth. The needs of the elderly and disabled should be anticipated in the planning and designing of the transport infrastructure especially in the light of the growing silver population the world over.

To ensure all the transportation systems align with the varied needs of all, there is an urgent need of funding for developing new accessible transport systems as well as retrofitting the existing with the aim of developing accessible, affordable, economically viable, people-oriented and environment-friendly transport systems.

Speakers at the Event

Ms. Abha Negi, Director, Svayam – National Centre for Inclusive Environments, New Delhi, India
Mr. Ramakant Goswami, Hon’ble Minister – Transport, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India (couldn’t attend)
Ms. Ann Frye, Director, Ann Frye Ltd, UK
Dr. (Ms.) Lalita Sen, Professor, Texas Southern University, USA
Dr. Manoj Singh, Advisor (Transport), Planning Commission of Govt. of India
Ms. Mary Crass, Policy Head, International Transport Forum (Moderator)

Click here for Photos of the event on Facebook

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Walkability and Accessibility Audit – Bhikaiji Cama Place, Delhi

New Delhi

07th November 2012

Svayam’s Access Audit Team conducted a walkability and Accessibility audit of an important District Centre of New Delhi – Bhikaiji Cama Place and found the complex in a pathetic state of maintenance.

Brief background

Built in 1980, Bhikaiji Cama Place is one of New Delhi’s district centres following the 1960 Master Plan of the city. The 35-acres area includes commercial and government offices, small and mid-sized retailers, hotels and other allied functions.

However, in the year 2005, a major renovation was carried out by the DDA and key interventions were made in order to improve the deteriorating conditions.

This included developing Road markings and directional signage to guide car and pedestrian traffic. Entrances were redesigned to make the plaza more accessible from the surrounding streets and pedestrian areas were elevated to keep them away from road traffic. A new storm water drainage and provision of ducts for future services were also installed.

Additionally, stone topped tables, benches and kiosks for additional food stalls were created to accommodate vendors and customers. Two public toilets were built and a solid waste system was developed and added alongside waste bins and garbage dumps.

Reality Check on November 02, 2012
Few years down the line , utter disdain for public property and lack of maintenance and DDA’s apathy, the complex is in shambles again.

The succeeding photos are sufficient evidence of the pathetic state of affairs at a major district centre in South Delhi where prominent offices are located- thanks to lack of maintenance by the municipal authorities and apathy of the administration.

Click below to access the PDF copy of the report.

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Footpaths in Delhi are too high to be used

A giant step backwards

City’s Footpaths Too High To Be Used, Violate All Norms

Indrani Basu TNN

New Delhi:

Imagine having to raise your legs up to a feet or more to take a footpath. If the state public works department (PWD) has its way, walking on the pavement in Delhi may become quite a task, thanks to mindless construction by the public works department. And no, there is no way anyone can be penalized for the faulty construction.

In a gross violation of the street design guidelines, the PWD is constructing 19-inch high footpaths in Kirti Nagar. The norm is of six inches. When a TOI team visited the area, it found that the agency had built most of the footpaths along Satguru Ram Singh Marg at this height without placing any slanting kerb ramps for easy access. Also, wherever there were ramps, those were too steep. In some areas, as many as three steps had to be constructed to provide access to a footpath.
As per street design guidelines issued by DDA planning body UTTIPEC in 2010, height of a footpath cannot exceed six inches; the footpaths must have a ramp of the slope 1:12 and must have tactile paving both at the beginning and along the footpath.

When TOI spoke to engineers in charge of the construction on the stretch, they shifted the blame on the area municipal commission of Delhi (MCD). “These roads were earlier with MCD . The MCD had constructed high drains on this road, and the footpaths have to be built on top of that. As a result, the footpath is high,” said an engineer.
“However, we will also be relaying the road, which will add four inches to the current height of the road,” assured the engineer. However, UTTIPEC guidelines state that in case a road will be re-carpeted after a footpath is built, reduction in footpath height till 100 mm (four inches) is permitted, but under no circumstances should a footpath be higher than 150 mm (six inches).
TOI found that none of these footpaths have tactile paving (yellow footpath tiles that act as warning and guiding blocks for the visually impaired), and access ramps are either missing, too steep or replaced with steps that cannot be used by those on wheelchairs. “All UTTIPEC street design guidelines have to be followed for all new construction. Engineers are well aware of this as we have had numerous meetings on this under the chairmanship of L-G Tejendra Khanna,” said UTTIPEC director Ashok Bhattacharjee.

However, a senior official said, “Forget UTTIPEC guidelines, even basic IRC guidelines are not being followed. The footpath being constructed in Kirti Nagar is just one of the glaring examples of public road structures that serve no actual purpose and have resulted in wastage of large amount of public money.”

While UTTIPEC has brought this matter to the notice of the L-G in a written complaint, there is currently no penalization provision in place to punish the road owning agencies.

Source: Times of India