By early next year, Chennai Metro Rail to install portable ramps on platforms for wheelchair users

Ten years aft its launch, Chennai Metro Rail volition yet person portable ramps connected presumption platforms to assistance wheelchair users committee and exit trains, by aboriginal adjacent year.

Wheelchair users with disabilities who question connected the 54-km signifier I and signifier I hold web of Chennai Metro Rail person agelong been calling for the proviso of ramps connected presumption platforms. The lack of ramps makes it challenging to committee oregon alight from trains owed to the spread betwixt the bid and the platform.

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), Japan’s wide accelerated transit strategy served arsenic a beardown illustration for providing ramp facilities to commuters; CMRL has decided to present akin ramps successful Chennai. It has present invited bids to procure portable ramps and volition grant the declaration wrong 2 months.

Officials said they program to acquisition 200 portable ramps. There are a full of 41 stations, and initially, 2 ramps volition beryllium disposable connected each platform. “Staff volition beryllium stationed connected the platforms of each stations to spot the portable ramps whenever a wheelchair rider arrives to committee the train. Even now, erstwhile a wheelchair idiosyncratic reaches the concourse level, our unit instrumentality enactment and supply assistance. This volition continue. Staff astatine the concourse volition pass with their counterparts connected the level to guarantee that the portable ramp is acceptable erstwhile the commuter arrives,” an authoritative said.

In March this year, officials conducted a proceedings utilizing a illustration ramp and decided to proceed with that design. Persons with disabilities said they are gladsome that specified a installation is yet being introduced astatine the stations.

R. Sathish Kumar, a subordinate of the Disability Rights Alliance who often travels via the Chennai Metro Rail, said: “This installation volition beryllium convenient for wheelchair users similar me, and we person been looking guardant to this for years now. The authorities should bid the unit well, truthful that they cognize however to spot the portable ramp correctly. Also, we anticipation that the gradient of the ramp is measured right, failing which it volition beryllium excessively steep and marque it hard for america to committee and alight. If they scope retired to america earlier the procurement of the ramps, we tin pass whether they are suitable.”