Chennai disability activists push for standard bus stop design to ensure accessibility

In Chennai, a group of disability rights activists has launched an initiative to standardise the design of bus stops, aiming to make public transport truly accessible for persons with disabilities.

The Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) began its ‘Bus4all’ initiative by conducting accessibility audits at two bus stops on Kamarajar Salai on Sunday. Nearly 10 people with reduced mobility participated, evaluating infrastructure to formulate recommendations for future bus stops.

“Five years ago, there were no low-floor buses. Now that we have electric low-floor buses, we also need accessible bus stops. This effort is to come up with the best accessible bus stops,” said Satish Kumar, a DRA member.

During the audit, participants highlighted multiple challenges. A wheelchair user attempted to board a low-floor bus that tilted down for accessibility. While he managed to get onto the first ramp, the incline was too steep for the second, causing him to roll back to the stop. Crutch users also found the ramp difficult to navigate. The main issue, activists noted, is the lack of standard bus stop platform heights. Platform heights vary from 150 mm to 300 mm, making it difficult to board low-floor buses, which are designed to be the most accessible for persons with disabilities.

Gnana Bharathi, founder of the Spinal Injured Persons Association, pointed out that after alighting from the bus, he faced immediate traffic because there was no access to the nearby footpath. “The road and the footpath should be at the same level so that a person can climb easily. The footpath and the bus stop platform also need to be aligned,” he said.

Meenakshi Balasubramaniam, another DRA member, noted that tactile tiles meant for the visually impaired left insufficient space between them, making it difficult for her to use crutches. Inside the bus, she said, there is no dedicated space to hold assistive devices, and legroom is inadequate for some passengers to bend their legs.

Bharathi also criticised bus drivers for stopping far from the bus stop, undermining the purpose of low-floor buses. He suggested a curved path indicator to guide drivers to stop close enough for easy boarding.

Pavithra Sriram, an architect and co-founder of Design Co:Lab, said the exercise helped understand how different users access public infrastructure. “We are finding a way where everyone can walk in every space. This should ideally come from the city, and not advocacy groups. There are enough data, guidelines, and harmonised design guidelines, but implementation continues to lag,” she said.

The DRA plans to submit its recommendations for accessible bus stops to the Greater Chennai Corporation and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.