Concerns over lack of accessibility at Chennai Metro Rail stations remain unaddressed over the years. The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety must look into it, the Disability Rights Alliance has said.
A team of officials, including the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety, last week inspected the Tiruvottiyur Theradi and Wimco Nagar depot stations built under phase-I extension. Vaishnavi Jayakumar, of the Disability Rights Alliance, says this mass rapid transit system is not easy for a disabled person to use. The issues at the stations include no warning strips in the tactile tiles to indicate the edge of the platform; the tactile warning doesn’t extend till the end of the platform; and the drains in the platform act as an obstruction for the visually impaired as the walking stick slips into the holes, she adds.
“The height of the kiosks is not reachable for wheelchair-bound persons. We have already raised these issues. The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety must also look into these issues, see whether the facilities are compliant with rules and then issue the safety certificate. Though the access audit was done last year, the government has never shared the results with us,” she said.
The certificate of the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety is mandatory for starting operations at Chennai Metro Rail stations.
A top official attached to the office of the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety says Chennai Metro Rail was asked to take corrective measures. “They have carried out some changes, but the rest needs to be done.”
According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), they are always ready to help the disabled persons from the point of entry till they board the train. “We will ensure they face no difficulty,” an official says. Officials inspected the facilities at the stations, including the public announcement and passenger information displays, lifts, escalators, the overhead electrical system, the tunnel ventilation system, jet fans, the safety of train operations and the signalling systems.
