Also, the demand for concession in tatkal ticket is seems to be
unacceptable. Because, railway does not provide any type of concession in
tatkal for any class. Then how can we put forward such demand?
-----Original Message-----
From: amritpal singh
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2015 1:39 PM
To: 'AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues
concerningthe disabled.'
Subject: Re: [AI] Rail Budget and issues of disabled -- Memo to
RailwayMinister
Perhaps, you don't know that travel concession is also not allowed in
Jan-shatabdi trains.
-----Original Message-----
From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf
Of National Platform For The Rights of the Disabled
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2015 12:19 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: [AI] Rail Budget and issues of disabled -- Memo to Railway Minister
February 20, 2015
*Shri Suresh Prabhu*
*Minister for Railways*
*Government of India*
Dear Sir,
We, representatives of various organisations working among the disabled in
the country, affiliated to the National Platform for the Rights of the
Disabled (NPRD) wish to draw your attention to the problems faced by
persons with disabilities, while travelling with the Indian Railways. Most
of these issues had been raised with your ministry earlier, including your
predecessor, Shri Sadananda Gowada, with no avail.
We wish to draw your attention to some urgent issues with a request for
redressal.
1. *Concessions*
*(i) **Extend Concession to all Trains: *The Railways have been
providing concessions to certain categories of disabled persons in mail &
express trains, which now has been extended to Rajdhani & Shatabdi also.*
But the concession is not provided in local and passenger trains and the
Garib Rath. We request that concessions be provided on these trains also. *
*(ii) **Validity of Disability Certificates: *Currently, a
separate certificate has to be obtained for availing railway concession.
*The
railways should accept Disability Certificates or cards as valid proof of
the disability of the concerned person and do away with the requirement of
a separate certificate. The Central government proposes to introduce a
certificate/card that would be universally valid. When introduced this
certificate/card should be accepted.*
(iii) *Travelling without Escorts: *Except for blind and the
hearing & speech impaired, currently all other disabled persons have to
invariably travel with escorts if they have to avail concession. This
restricts their right to travel. *All disabled persons who are capable of
traveling independently like persons with locomotor disabilities should be
allowed to travel with or without escort.*
*(iv) **Concession to Mentally Disabled Persons:* People with
mental illness though categorized as disabled as per the Persons with
Disabilities Act 1995, are not provided concessions in the railways.
*Concession
should be extended to* *all those classified as disabled in the Persons
with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Right and Full
Participation) Act, 1995, the National Trust Act and those disabilities
included in the Disability Rights Bill pending with the Parliamentary
Standing Committee. *
(v) *Concession on Tatkal Tickets: The concession given on
other tickets should also be extended for bookings made under Tatkal by
persons with disabilities.*
2. *E Booking Facility: *The introduction of the e-booking facility for
disabled on a trial basis is welcome. However, in this instance also a
separate certificate and number has to be procured from the railways for
this purpose. This provision should be done away with. *As in the case of
senior citizens, the TTE can ask for proof (disability certificate) during
the course of the journey. *
*3. **Coach for Disabled:* Many a time the coach meant for the disabled
is occupied by other travellers, railway employees and even RPF personnel.
Placement of this coach has also not been consistent – sometimes it is
placed at the end of the train and sometimes it is placed next to the
engine. *It should be ensured that the coach be placed next to the
guard’s
coach and a disabled sensitive attendant be provided in these coaches to
ensure that none other than disabled persons and their escorts are allowed.*
4. *Accessibility*: You will appreciate that the Persons with
Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Right and Full
Participation) Act, 1995, mandates railway stations and coaches to be made
barrier free. Its implementation, however, has been disappointing. The
United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
which India has ratified also mandates that persons with disabilities have
“access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to
transportation……..”
Railway stations are not accessible. Ramps are rare and wherever available
are limited for entry into the foot over-bridges. Platforms are
inaccessible. The gap (height) between the platform and the coach varies
from station to station. There is not enough space for mobility inside the
coaches. Toilets cannot be used by persons with certain disabilities.
Inter-platform transfers pose a big challenge.
It would advisable if the railways could follow the accessibility standards
set in their very own ”Manual for Standards and Specifications for
Railway
Stations” brought out in 2009.
http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/downloads/Manual%20for%20WCS%20(Vol%201-%20Main%20Report).pdf
· *The Railways should go in for universal design. *
· *Ramps/Lifts should be provided wherever necessary. As against
escalators which are not disabled friendly, elevators can be used by
persons with disabilities. *
· *Floor tiles everywhere should be non slippery *
· *Tactile marking should be made on the platform to guide blind
persons to the exit, bridges, stairs, ticketing counters etc. Tactile
markings should also be provided on the edges of the platforms. Platform
numbers should be labelled in Braille both at the entry/exit points as well
as on the railing of the foot overbridge.*
· *To guide persons with low visibility stations should also have
coloured markings and contrasts to guide low vision persons to ticket
counters, platforms over bridges etc. Coloured markings should be made on
the edge of platforms including tactile markings to warn passengers with
low vision of the edge of the platform.*
· *All Coaches should have Braille embossed signage.*
· *Battery** operated cars now provided at some stations should be
made available at all major stations and platforms. *
· *Provision of sign language interpreters at stations.*
· With regard to web accessibility, railway sites have to be made
WCAG 2/GIGW compliant.
*5. **Sensitising Railway Staff*: The disabled encounter a lot of
problems at railway counters. *There is a need to sensitise all personnel
working in the railways, especially those dealing directly with travelers,
on issues connected with disability. *
*6. **Disabled Hawkers: *The vast majority of the disabled people in the
country are poor. Denied employment, many of them do odd jobs, one of them
being hawking petty items on board trains to sustain themselves and their
families. *Disabled persons should be given licence to sell such items on
trains. *
*7. **PCO Booths: *The railways had earlier allotted PCO booths to
persons with disabilities. However, now these PCOs have become redundant
with the largescale use of mobile phones. Many of these PCO booths have
been disbanded by the railways. *These PCO booths (wherever existing) may
be converted into convenience stores for which licences can be given to
disabled persons to vend essential goods required by passengers.* The
railways are selling unreserved tickets through private agents. *Licences
may be given to those operating such booths within railway premises to sell
such tickets and the licence fee may be waived.*
*8. *Last but not least, usage of terms like “Orthopaedically
Handicapped/ Paraplegic persons”, “mentally retarded”,
“deaf and dumb (both
afflictions together)”, to denote certain disabilities, should be
discontinued. *Instead, the more correct terms like “persons with
locomotor
disability”, “intellectual disabilities”, “hearing and
speech impairment”
(both conditions together)” should be used. *
We hope you will consider these issues favourably.
Yours truly
*(Muralidharan)*
*Secretary*
*National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled*
*Contact No. 09868768543*
*Email: nprd...@gmail.com <nprd...@gmail.com>*
1. *Vikalangula Hakkula Jatiya Vedika, Andhra Pradesh *
2. *Viklang Adhikar Manch, Bihar*
3. *Delhi** Viklang Adhikar Manch, Delhi*
4. *Viklang Adhikar Manch, Gujarat, *
5. *Haryana Viklang Adhikar Manch, Haryana*
6. *Jharkhand Viklang Morcha, Jharkhand*
7. *Karnataka Rajya Angavikalara Mattu Palakara Okkota, Karnataka*
8. *Differently-Abled Welfare Federation, Kerala*
9. *Lakshwadeep Disabled Welfare Association*
10. *Platform for Rights of Disabled, Orissa*
11. *Tamilnadu Assn for the Rights of Differently-Abled & Caregivers*
12. *Vikalangula Hakkula Jatiya Vedika, Telengana *
13. *Tripura Pratibandhi Adhikar Manch, Tripura*
14. *Paschim Banga Rajya Pratibandhi Sammelini, West Bengal*
Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of
mobile phones / Tabs on:
http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Search for old postings at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/
To unsubscribe send a message to
accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in
with the subject unsubscribe.
To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please
visit the list home page at
http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Disclaimer:
1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the
person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity;
2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails
sent through this mailing list..
Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of
mobile phones / Tabs on:
http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Search for old postings at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/
To unsubscribe send a message to
accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in
with the subject unsubscribe.
To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please
visit the list home page at
http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Disclaimer:
1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the
person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity;
2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails
sent through this mailing list..
Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of
mobile phones / Tabs on:
http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Search for old postings at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/
To unsubscribe send a message to
accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in
with the subject unsubscribe.
To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please
visit the list home page at
http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Disclaimer:
1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the
person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity;
2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent
through this mailing list..
