When Rajiv Ranjan, a cerebral palsy patient, was barred by an airline from flying out of Chennai in 2007, the disability rights activists took the issue to the civil aviation ministry and a section M1 (Carriage by Air of Persons with Disability and/ or Persons with Reduced Mobility) was released in 2008.

However, even today, the air travel continues to be a nightmare for the differently-abled.
“Be it public sector or private sector airlines, rules and regulations are not followed properly.

They don’t offer proper facilities, not even a good wheelchair,” said S. Namburajan, state secretary, Tamil Nadu association for the rights of all types of differently-abled and caregivers. “There have even been instances of disabled people taken in trolleys,” he added.

Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) president D. Sudhakara Reddy said it was unfortunate that a committee formed to devise guidelines for disabled air passengers was disbanded recently after two of the committee members resigned.

“They quit the committee in protest of the latest incident where a Kolkata-based teacher Jeeja Ghosh was deplaned after she boarded a flight,” he added.

Cerebral palsy patient and poet Frederika Menezes, who lives out of a wheelchair, said “Asking differently-abled people and those accompanying them to board last is not the right way to treat us.

I have travelled a few times by air and they were not an excellent experience. I believe that airlines need a crash course on how to treat someone like me.”

Consumer activist R. Desikan said wheelchair facilities continue to be horrible at Chennai airport. “The airport doesn’t have proper wheelchairs and so loading passenger into the van and the aircraft is very difficult,” he said, adding that ambu lift and use of aero bridge eases the strain on passengers.

“I use wheelchair because I am a little unsteady and cannot keep pace with other passengers, who mostly seem to be in a hurry,” he said, adding that about 30 to 40 disabled passengers use the airport at Chennai everyday.

Access to public transport remains elusive

On Thursday, Mr Ramarajan, whose legs are affected by polio, searched for several hours to spot a differently-abled friendly bus operated by Metropolitan Transport Corporation at Broadway bus terminus. A lawyer by profession, he wanted to experience the travel on a special bus.

But after waiting for several hours, he was disappointed as he could not find a single special bus at the bustling bus depot. The access to the public transport still remains a dream for differently-abled people like him.

“The authorities do not care about us when it comes to public transportation facilities. Civic authorities do not take the hardships of disabled into account while laying pavements,” he lamented.

He arrived at around 11 am in Broadway to reach Royapettah by the special bus. Even as kept waiting, the time office staff were also not sure about the timings of special buses.. “I learnt that two of seven special buses, flagged off by chief minister, were being operated from the terminus, but I could not find even one,” Mr Ramarajan added.

He also pointed at the absence of ramps at bus stops which denies them the access to ordinary buses. “If we are fortunate we can get a special bus or otherwise we have to depend only on ordinary buses. But it is very tough for us to board a crowded MTC bus.” He appealed to authorities to hang display boards with timings at vantage points and operate the special buses regularly.

Mr R. Vijayan, president, All India Differently Abled Persons Empowerment Trust, said, “The authorities, both from the corporation and Metropolitan Transport Corporation, should help improve disabled passengers’ access to buses. Bus crew should be also be trained to handle differently-abled passengers.”

Asked about the nonexistence of special buses, MTC authorities told all buses were being operated as per schedule and at least 10 special persons board such special buses everyday.

Rules flouted in exclusive coaches

Mr Rahul, who is disabled, had an unfortunate experience aboard the Nilgiri Express on his way to Coimbatore last week. Despite having a government-issued identity card for the disabled, he was abused by many “normal” people in the coach who asked him to take the unreserved coach.

Mr P. Simmachandran, general secretary of the TN Federation for Differently-abled, boarded the Mangalore Express to Tiruchy recently. He couldn’t sit in the coach allotted for the disabled as it was occupied by “normal” people. No one listened to him when he told the passengers that they shouldn’t use the exclusive coach.

“Many physically challenged persons like me were forced to stand and all the ‘normal’ people continued their journey comfortably in this special coach,” he said. This is not the first time since 2003, when the special coach was introduced, that disabled people have complained about the violation, he added.

He added that because he was often filing complaints regarding the misuse of coaches by “normal” people, he had even been relieved from the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCE).

When contacted, Southern Railways DRM S. Anantharaman said, “Along with RPF, our railway staff check the disabled coaches often. We ensure disabled persons do not suffer. Whenever we receive complaints we address them immediately.”