24.42% buses operated by Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai have physically challenged friendly facilities such as lift mechanism, audio alert system and buzzer with switches to stop the vehicles in case of an emergency.
As per the guidelines of Union Ministry of Road Transport, a new bus body building code had been provided for the physically challenged passengers. The code requires at least two passenger seats in mini buses and four passenger seats in other buses to be designated as priority seats for the physically challenged and provided with facilities such a buzzer switche and appropriate facilities to secure the crunches, canes, walkers and so on.
There are 3,676 government buses in the city. Of them, 10 are equipped with lift mechanism facility, 75 had audio alert system for the visually challenged, 400 were fitted with buzzers and switches and 410 with rings for holding canes used by the visually challenged.
The transport undertakings have been instructed to prove route maps and schedules in braille at all bus stops apart from an exclusive ticketing area for the visually challenged. Modification of the footboard of the buses so as to make them more accessible for the visually challenged, are being made.
