Buses are disabled-unfriendly

Buses are disabled-unfriendly

Anil Kumar Sastry

BANGALORE: Apart from dissuading general public from utilising the services, BMTC buses are not friendly to the disabled, senior citizens and women.

Although the Parisara Vahini coaches have wide entrance and exit in the middle, the front entrance is small and the steps are not easily manoeuvrable. The seats earmarked for women, the disabled and the elderly are often occupied by men who often refuse to vacate them.

While the first four rows of seats (12 seats) are reserved for women, two each among them are marked for the elderly and the disabled. Out of the remaining seats, two each are reserved for the elderly and disabled men.

The Commissioner for Disabilities has written several times to the BMTC on the hardship faced by the disabled.

It is learnt that the BMTC promised to rectify the defects in a phased manner as when new buses were inducted.

On its part, BMTC blames the road engineers. It says if buses are provided with lower steps, the roads with humps of various dimensions make it impossible for buses to move.

For the record, the traffic police have booked 236 cases against men occupying seats reserved for women.