'Accessible' transport for Disabled sought in West
Bengal
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Blaming government apathy for the harassment they are forced
to face while availing public conveyance, people with disabilities in West
Bengal Saturday demanded an "accessible transport system".
Despite the existence of legislation as well as guidelines
from the Calcutta High Court prohibiting harassment, commuting for people with
disabilities has become a nightmare, they said.
Earlier this week, a disabled woman who runs an NGO to fight
for social equality was treated inhumanly, while she was travelling with her
minor daughter in a mini-bus.
The woman claimed her right to travel free on a pass because
of her disability, and also showed her identity card, but was shoved around,
taunted, and confined in the bus by its conductor and driver.
Highlighting their plight, the Sruti Disability Rights
Centre and Human Rights Law Network, non-governmental organisations working for
human rights, said they would meet representatives of the Mamata Banerjee-led
West Bengal government seeking implementation of the provisions of the Persons With
Disability Act, 1995 as well as the court's guidelines seeking to facilitate
easy commuting of disabled people.
"Hearing a public interest litigation, the high court
in June had laid down guidelines prohibiting harassment, asking for
installation of auditory signals and reservation of seats in buses.
Unfortunately, the state government has not implemented even one percent of
those guidelines," Debashis Banerjee, a lawyer, said.
Visually challenged Sourav Bose, an insurance agent,
described daily commuting as a nightmare.
"While commuting is a nightmare, the apathy toward us
is reflected by the fact that most government buildings don't have ramps or
lifts fitted with voice-announcements of the different floors, making it
difficult for us to access them. The irony is, the office of the disability
commissioner here too falls under the same category of buildings," Bose
said.
Sharing a similar ordeal, physically challenged Bubai Bag -
a research scholar - said: "The government has reserved a train
compartment for the disabled, but has never given a thought to how a man like
me would eventually reach that compartment".
"Just by reserving two seats in a bus or train, the
government cannot wash its hands of its responsibilities. Who will sensitise
people who operate the buses? While commuting, we realise how unacceptable we
are to society," Bag said.
With the state government yet to implement the high court
guidelines, lawyer Banerjee said the organisations were planning to file
contempt proceedings.
"While the plans to file contempt proceedings are
afoot, we don't want to rush things. Rather, we would like to meet government
representatives, especially the state transport minister, to discuss things.
"While the government has shown its intent, it's the
transport operators who have been creating hurdles. They neither implement the
court guidelines nor do they come to the discussion table," legal counsel
Banerjee said.
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