Report from the Ministry of Railways India

FACILITIES TO DISABLED, Ministry of Railways India

A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Honourable Delhi High Court wherein Ministry of Railways is one of the respondents.

In pursuance of implementation of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal
Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995,
Railways have provided the following seven short-term facilities at 300
stations comprising all 'A' category stations and few 'B' category
stations. These facilities have been planned for remaining 'B' category
stations also.

1. Standard ramp for Barrier free entry,

2. Earmarking parking lots for vehicles used by Disabled Persons,

3. Non-slippery walkway,

4. Signage,

5. Toilets,

6. Water taps suitable for needs of handicapped person,

7. "May I Help You" Booth,

Besides, wheel chairs have been provided at important stations.

Regarding inter platform connectivity, trolley paths have been
provided at the end of the platforms of important stations which have been
authorized for use by handicapped persons on wheel chairs with escorts.

Concessions in fares are granted to four categories of
disabilities.

(1) Orthopaedically Handicapped/Paraplegic

(2) Mentally Retarded

(3) Blind persons - completely blind.

(4) Totally Deaf and Dumb and both afflictions together.

In addition to the above concession in single journey 50% concession in
first and second class season ticket fare is also admissible to above
categories of disabled people.

A Reservation quota of two sleeper class berths has been earmarked in all
trains running on non-suburban sections for handicapped persons performing
their journey on handicapped concessional ticket. The persons accompanying
the handicapped person as escort are also allotted the berth out of this
quota.

Indian Railways are manufacturing certain passenger coaches, which have a
separate compartment specially designed for wheel chair borne passengers.
These compartments have facilities like wider door-way, aisle and knee space
to permit easy movement of wheel chair, wider berths, toilet adapted to
needs of such passengers, arrangements for securing wheel chairs during the
journey etc.

The Railways are working to provide at least one non-AC Passenger Coach
which will have a separate compartment for wheel chair borne passengers in
every Mail/Express Trains within a period of two years.

The following 19 Major Stations all over Indian Railways will be developed
into world class stations which will be provided with lift/Escalators for
facilitating inter-platform transfer :-

1 Pune 2 Carnac Bunder, Mumbai 3
Howrah

4 Lucknow 5 Anand Vihar, Delhi
6 Bijwasan, Delhi

7 Amritsar 8 Chandigarh
9 New Delhi

10 Varanasi 11 Chennai
12 Patna

13 Secunderabad 14 Thiruvanthpuram 15
Ahmedabad

16 Bhubneshwar 17 Mathura
18 Bangalore

19 Bhopal

This information was given by Shri R. Velu, Minister of State for Railways
in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

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