Facilities meant for differently-abled people being misused at Rly. stations

Facilities meant for differently-abled people being misused at Rly. stations

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 3, 2014: Parking space for differently abled people at Mangalore Central Railway Station is oftenused by able-bodied persons.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is being observed on Wednesday and instances of the denial of facilities meant for persons with disabilities in the Railways have come to the fore.

From the parking space for vehicles to the space/coach reserved for them on trains, persons with disabilities are being denied these facilities even as able-bodied persons use them.

P.A. Gopinath, a differently-abled former lecturer, said that the vehicle parking space at the Mangalore Central Railway Station, reserved for those with disabilities, is being used by others. The parking lot operator allows others to park their vehicles and collects the fee.

Though he brought this misuse to the notice of the Station Master on Monday, the scene was no different on Tuesday, Mr. Gopinath told The Hindu .

When Mr. Gopinath protested with the parking lot operator on Tuesday, the operator rebuked him saying: “You got the space no? Why are you making it an issue?”

Space or coach earmarked for differently-abled persons on trains too are being denied, Mr. Gopinath alleged. He claimed while many of South-bound trains from Mangalore Central do not have any special facility for the differently-abled, the Bengaluru-Kannur-Bengaluru train is equipped with a small coach with wide doors for entry of wheel chairs.

This coach, Mr. Gopinath said, is attached either next to the locomotive or before the Railway guard’s coach thereby denying differently-abled persons facilities available on platforms.

During one of his journeys in the special coach, the guard forced him to accommodate a lady passenger even though it was an offence for able-bodied persons to travel in coaches meant for the differently-abled. This special coach is frequently misused, he alleged.

Divisional Railway Manager, Palakkad, Anand Prakash told The Hindu that suitable instructions would be issued to the concerned regarding the parking space. Regarding misuse of the special coach, Mr. Prakash said the authorities frequently book cases against unauthorised occupants. He would issue fresh instructions to tighten the vigil.

Courtesy : THe Hindu