Chennai Metro Rail to provide roll-out ramps for wheelchair users

Chennai Metro Rail to introduce roll-out ramps for persons with disabilities, inspired by Japan, for easier train boarding.

Drawing from Japan, to make travel more accessible for persons with disabilities, Chennai Metro Rail will have a ramp for commuters while boarding a train.

Ever since Chennai Metro Rail commenced operations nearly a decade ago, persons with disabilities have flagged a lot of accessibility issues in stations and trains. Among them is the gap that exists between the platform and the train, which makes it tough for commuters using wheelchairs to board the train. Sometime back, Chennai Metro Rail began work to address these issues.

As part of the measures to improve accessibility, roll-out ramps are going to be provided for smooth boarding and alighting from trains in the 54 km phase I and phase I extension network.

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), they have carried out trials and it has worked well. They are going to start buying these roll-out ramps soon and it will be made available in all stations across the network.

“We looked at Japan and using that as a model, we decided to do it here as well. There will be staff both at the entry point and the platform level. Signages will also be put up on platform level indicating where persons with disability have to board. The staff will be present with these ramps on the platform and will ensure wheelchair users can board comfortably. Similarly, the staff at the boarding station will inform the station in-charge at the destination station and there will be someone waiting with these roll-out ramps for the passenger,” an official said.

Officials said, soon after it is implemented in the phase I network, this facility could be a reality in the 118.9 km phase II network as well. Vaishnavi Jayakumar of Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) said, “This is a welcome move. It will not only help wheelchair users but also those who are visually impaired since their walking stick could slip inside the gap. But ideally the objective is to make persons with disability travel as independently as possible and see if automatic ramps could be installed. Officials should ensure that there are adequate staff to assist them,” she added.

Officials said fitting an automatic roll-out ramp would affect the frequency of the trains and hence it would be difficult to execute.