Metro needs to be more user-friendly
Differently abled Take Ride.Parking Causes Trouble
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Bangalore: It was a rare occasion.For 12-differently abled persons,it was a Saturday date with Namma Metro.Some of them communicated their excitement in sign language as the Metro chugged into the MG Road station.
Of the group,Ajith,Nilesh,Deepa and Sunil, all physically challenged, arrived at the station with Satish Subramanian, a friend who had worked with them in the past. The others, speech-and-hearing-impaired, had come of their own for a ride.
They had a hassle-free ride but it was not so for the wheelchair bound. The trouble began outside the station itself. There is no parking space on MG Road.The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) should make space at least the physically challenged. I wanted to take a ride from MG Road to Byappanahalli and back. But due to lack of space, I had to park my vehicle at Baiyappanahalli and then take my car back to MG Road, said Ajith KS, who works in a private firm.
Sunil Jain, a chartered accountant, said: There should be parking space for the vehicles of at least physically challenged people. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to travel in the Metro independently.
But they did not let it spoil the thrill. Deepa Narasimhan, a marketing and communication professional, exclaimed: It is my first ride in the Metro.
Once inside the station,Shivakumar,an employee of IBM who was from the other group helped the four enter the platform.
NOT VERY FRIENDLY
Trouble arose when it was time for the group to board the train with the wheelchairs. Getting into the train was the difficult part because of the gap between the platform and the train. People on wheelchairs cannot board trains without any support. When everyone is talking about inclusive, why is there no inclusive growth in this asked Deepa.
Nilesh Raikar, who runs a tutorial in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, said: We want to be self-reliant. I cant travel in the Metro without anyones support. There is only one lift and it can accommodate only one physically challenged person .This is a railway station. People will come in thousands. This infrastructure wont suffice. While coming from Baiyappanahalli,we cannot get down and wait till the Metro changes track. There is a lift only on one side of the station. What will happen if the Metro rail is extended and cannot change tracks.
Nonetheless, everyone enjoyed the ride from MG Road to Byappanahalli and back. We all enjoyed the Metro ride, he said. It was a smooth ride. The travel experience in Namma Metro is superb, gestured Sandeep KR.
….To read more click: Time of India, Bangalore