New Dehli Adds New Low-Floor Busses

Initiative for the better: A disabled person with reduced mobility demonstrating the use of the new Bus Rapid Transit System in New Delhi on Wednesday that makes it accessible for all on low floor bus.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System, a joint venture of the Delhi Government and the Industrial Development Finance Corporation, is all set to officially roll out the new Bus Rapid Transit System corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand on April 1

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Delhi Transport Corporation officials waxed eloquent about the benefits of BRTS in making the Capital's public transport disable-friendly. A demonstration of how a wheelchair user will be able to easily access the bus queue shelter and the low-floor buses on the corridor was also provided after the conference

This demonstration was carried out by Anjilee Agarwal and Sanjeev Sachdeva of non-government organisation Samarthyam, which has been associated with the project since its inception in 2002.

The new low-floor buses that would be plying on the BRT corridor would be equipped with a ramp to enable people to board and disembark conveniently. The height of the bus-queue-shelter pavement has been raised to synchronise the height of the bus chassis. These buses would also have reserved space to accommodate wheelchairs.

"These features of this corridor make it accessible not just to the disabled but also to persons with reduced mobility such as senior citizens, families with small children, women wearing high heels," said Ms. Agarwal.

The disabled-friendly features in the system include an access ramp for persons using mobility aids, Braille plates and tactile floor tiles incorporated in the bus-queue-shelter in addition to boasting of well aligned street furniture.
The bus-queue-shelters included in the corridor will be located in the middle of the road with traffic marshals employed to help regulate traffic and help bus commuters cross the road. The segregated road design in BRT corridors will allow commuters to cross only at the zebra crossings when the traffic light is red during its normal cycle. A total of six traffic lights will be installed on the 5.6 km stretch of the trail corridor with each bus-queue-shelter located every 500 metres. According to DIMTS Senior Manager (Bus Operations) A. K. Sinha, the four bus routes to ply on the corridor would be 522, 521, 419 and 423. These would be run exclusively by the DTC. Blueline buses will not be permitted to run on them. The buses will ply in the corridor from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.