The protesters want railway authorities to make provision in the special coach for loading of foldable wheelchairs, among other things
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Over 100 people with disabilities staged an hour-long protest outside Beach Station on Monday, demanding that Southern Railway authorities ensure their safety on trains.
The
protesters listed a range of issues that made it difficult for them to
travel by trains, including the absence of announcements about the
position of coaches, harassment in issuing tickets under the disability
concession and misuse of the special coach for the disabled by Railway
employees and ex-servicemen.
The special coach, meant
exclusively for those with disabilities, is sometime attached next to
the engine, or at other times, before the guard van. Since there is no
prior information about this, disabled passengers do not know where to
go.
D. Elumalai, a visually challenged person said,
“We have to make our way by trial and error, and on several occasions I
have missed the train. We also have to deal with persons without
disabilities who insist on travelling in the special coach.”
Physically
challenged persons say they have a tough time loading their tricycles
on to the train. If the special coach is at the end of the train, then
the luggage van is usually attached near the engine. Since there is no
provision to load the tricycle into the special coaches and it is
mandatory for them to be put in the luggage van, people have to go back
and forth between the two coaches. Sometimes, the train leaves the
station before the passenger can unload the tricycle, they said.
Railway
authorities must make provision to allow for loading of foldable
wheelchairs in the special coach, said a protester. The protesters later
met Southern Railway’s general manager and submitted their petition.
Source : The Hindu , 8th October 2013
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