It has been over a year since the Kochi metro started functioning.
Undoubtedly, Kochi metro is the one of the most accessible metros in India
today. They have got thumbs up for their exceptional and remarkable
accessibility features that reach out to people with all kinds of
disabilities.
Some of their noticeable features are disabled friendly ticket counters with
lowered windows, wheelchair ramps at all station entrances, exits and
platforms, safety docking facilities inside the trains, wide AFC gates to
accommodate wheelchair users, tactile tiles for visually impaired passengers,
marked seats for disabled passengers and audible and visible information
across all stations to name a few.
Mr Mohammad Hanish IAS is the Managing
Director of Kochi Metro. He says that the city’s
metro service stands out for its unique accessibility and disabled friendly
features.
One of Kochi metro’s striking factors is that is it accessible and
disabled friendly. We have been focussing on this aspect from the beginning
of construction of the metro. Our facilities are highly advanced. We have
wheelchair ramps in all the stations and accessibility features for blind
people like tactile paths and so on. Our Kudumbasree volunteers at the
stations are trained to reach out to people with all kinds of
disabilities-Mohammad Hanish IAS, Managing Director, Kochi
Metro
A few disabled people in Kochi, who are regular users of the Kochi Metro,
speak about how accessible and disabled friendly the service is.
Rajeev Palluruthy is a wheelchair user from
Kochi. He is the Secretary of the All Kerala
Wheelchair Rights Federation as well.
“Travelling in Kochi metro is my first experience on a metro train. It is
an ideal mode of transport for people with all kinds of disabilities. They
have exclusive wheelchair ramps and lifts that take us till the platforms and
even to the exit. Inside the trains, they have facilities where you can lock
the wheelchair along with exclusive seats for disabled passengers. It is one
of the best disabled friendly government ventures that I have come across”,
says Palluruthy.
Neeraj George, a para badminton player from Kochi, is a
regular user of Kochi metro. George highly recommends Kochi metro services.
“I have travelled in other metros too. But Kochi metro is the most
accessible and barrier-free one that I have come across. There are lifts till
the platforms which makes it easy for people with all kinds of disabilities.
They also have announcements at regular intervals which are informative. I
would totally recommend this to disabled people”, says George.
Ever since its launch, Kochi metro has been in the news for all the good
reasons. They employed transgender persons as their staffs, which is first of
its kind in India. They are also one of the first metros in the country to be
completed in just a span of just four years. Now, with the accessibility
features getting great reviews, Kochi metro is truly soaring heights.
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Source: https://newzhook.com/story/21438
