Despite govt order, disabled are forced to pay on buses

Despite govt order, disabled are forced to pay on buses

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.11.2021

It has been three months since the state government announced that differ ently abled people will be allowed to travel for free on ordinary town buses.

But some conductors continue to demand ticket fares from such passengers and those who escort them.

The violation has been frequent in Chengalpet, Thiruvallur, Pudukottai and Dharmapuri districts, said S Namburajan from Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC).

G Tamil Selvi, who was escorting Nagaraj (a differently abled person) to Harur in Dharmapuri, said that conductor demanded ₹10 fare from her even after insisting that the government had changed the travel norms in June.

"It was more than enough if they presented their disability ID cards (issued by the government). But the conductors for some reason harass the passengers by asking for photocopies of the same. Failing which, they collect ticket fares" she said. Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus conductors in response said that their branch managers insist on proof that differentlyabled passengers actually travel and it actually helps in tallying ticket fare revenue at the end of the day.

“Besides this, there is no mention about this procedure in the handbooks given to us,” say conductors. Guidebooks, which explain the duties and limitations of conductors, have previously been used as evidence in court cases involving TNSTC staff.

Namburajan in his letter to chief minister MK Stalin has requested the state transport department to paste stickers on the bus windshields stating that travel is free for differently abled persons and those escorting them. A senior transport department official has agreed to look into this issue.

For a difference, the government scheme is properly implemented by Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Chennai as there are no complaints against them even when other corporations face allegations.

As a result, there is a 20% increase in the number of differently abled passengers using MTC buses in Chennai. Every month, at least 51,000 disabled passengers are getting benefitted, according to official data.

But only one out of the 3,300 MTC buses have ramps to assist disabled passengers while boarding or exiting. The Madras high court has directed the corporation to ensure that all new buses procured are disabled-friendly. MTC had originally decided that only 10% of the buses procured at ₹694 crore will be disabled-friendly and another 25% will have lift mechanisms with ramps. But activists have rejected it.