Differently abled persons seek accessible bus stops in Coimbatore
Disability rights advocates in Coimbatore are calling for improved accessibility at bus stops, citing the lack of ramps and tactile paving. They argue that current infrastructure limits mobility for those who cannot afford private transport.
Why it matters
It highlights the ongoing struggle for inclusive public infrastructure and the gap between judicial directives and ground-level implementation for persons with disabilities.
Persons with disabilities in Coimbatore have urged the civic authorities to make bus stops barrier-free, saying inaccessible public transport infrastructure continues to limit their mobility.
H. Ismail Usain, a wheelchair user, said many bus stops lack basic accessibility features such as kerb ramps, ramps with prescribed gradients, tactile paving, level boarding areas and unobstructed pedestrian access. The gap between the bus and the kerb, coupled with the absence of raised boarding platforms, makes boarding and alighting difficult for wheelchair users, he said.
J. Karunakaran, founder of Oondrukol Trust, an NGO working for persons with disabilities, said the organisation had repeatedly petitioned the government to adopt universal design standards in public infrastructure, but little had changed on the ground.
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