Fwd: Regarding Special allotment of Ticket Booking in Disability Coach in Vande Bharat Express – Changes needed in Ticket Booking Process
Vaishnavi Jayakumar
From: Sathish Kumar <sksathish...@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2023 at 21:21
Subject: Regarding Special allotment of Ticket Booking in Disability Coach in Vande Bharat Express – Changes needed in Ticket Booking Process
To: <g...@sr.railnet.gov.in>
Cc: <d...@mas.railnet.gov.in>, <ad...@mas.railnet.gov.in>, <sr...@mas.railnet.gov.in>, Freedom of Movement Coalition <wethedisabled...@gmail.com>
6th Feb 2023
From,
R Sathish Kumar,
Member of Disability Rights Alliance (DRA)
To,
The General Manager,
Southern Railways,
Central Railway Station,
Chennai
Sub: Regarding Special allotment of Ticket Booking in Disability Coach in Vande Bharat Express – Changes needed in Ticket Booking process –
Dear Sir,
In continuation to the Lr. Rec. No. 8712/ DAW-2.3/2022 dated : 22.11.2022 from the Commissioner for Welfare of the Differently Abled/State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities for alloting a separate coach to attend Purple Fest event at Goa, there was no possibility to have the train with special coaches from Chennai to Goa directly due to technical issues & also unfortunately train from Yesvantpur to Goa had been cancelled. So, finally 15 people including 5 Wheelchair Users travelled through Vande Bharat Express from Chennai to Bangalore and thereafter upto Goa in a Special Wheelchair Accessible Bus. It was a great trip for everyone who had travelled.
We would like to especially thank Mr. Harikrishnan – Sr DCM who had supported us in our attempt to book tickets on the wheelchair accessible, disabled friendly Vande Bharat Express coaches C1 & C14. Unfortunately these two coaches were booked already by general population. Thanks to his tireless efforts, we were able to get tickets at C13 which is adjacent to Disabled Friendly Coach C14. We would also like to thank Mr. Ananth Rupanagudi – ADRM, who had been able to contact and arrange the mobile platform wheelchair ramp to deboard from the train at Bangalore in short duration. The support of these two officials has been invaluable to our team on this trip - we would like to thank everyone else who was part of the enabling effort for a barrier free journey.
Wheelchair Accessible, Disabled Friendly Coaches of Vande Bharat Express are very useful and this special arrangements is required because then only the Wheelchair users can move inside the train freely and also can use the Accessible Toilets. But only two Disabled Friendly Coaches are available in each train, namely C1 and C14 wherein particular space has been provided to sit in wheelchair itself too. All other coaches of Vande Bharat Express are not accessible for wheelchair users. In this situation, passengers with locomotor disabilities are forced to travel only on these two particular coaches of the train. But unfortunately people with disabilities are not able to book tickets by having priority reservations in this coaches.
We request you to make few changes in CRIS' ticket booking process of Vande Bharat Trains and allocate seats as below.
● Five Seats need to be reserved for Persons for Disabilities in both the Wheelchair Accessible, Disabled Friendly Coaches (C1 & C14), wherein parallel particular space is provided for wheelchair users. This needs to updated in online ticket booking as well as at the counter. These five Seats in the both Coaches can be released for general public after the overall booking has crossed 95% of the entire train.
● Wheelchair Accessible, Disabled Friendly Coaches (C1 & C14) need to display the International Symbol of Accessibility wheelchair icon outside the train and near the seat inside the train. but there is no any separate category identification in the system at Ticket Booking Counters. Special identifications needs to be made in ticketing booking software for Persons for Disabilities, similar like Lower Berth, Upper Berth. This help in tickets being booked directly in the reserved seats at C1 & C14. It will also help Ticket Booking Counter staff to identify it easily. Railway disability certificate and UDID integration can be considered additionally.
These small changes in the ticket booking will enable for Persons for Disabilities to travel comfortably for whom these two coaches has been specially designed. Request you to consider the suggestions and implement it, since Vande Bharat are the trains which are going to run in future everywhere. You are also requested to ensure that all station platforms have mobile wheelchair ramps to board and deboard any coach on any train with optional provision of a narrow transport 'aisle' wheelchair. This facility will also assist ambulant persons with locomotor disability who can walk short distances but have trouble climbing steps.
We request your support in enabling frictionless travel for passengers with disabilities.
Thanking you,
Sincerely,
Harish Kotian
Hi
I think it is a very pertinent suggestion and needs attention. My only change would be to open allotment of these berths to general public after the tatkal round.This way even disabled persons who opt for tatkal berths will be taken care of.
Harish Kotian
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