Delhi pavements are a nightmare for the disabled

If you are able to walk, you can still manage to use Delhi’s pavements, however difficult or patchy they may be. But for those with disabilities, these footpaths are best avoided.

Uneven pavements surface, broken ramps, and encroachment by hawkers, among other things, just add to the difficulties faced by disabled people while accessing road infrastructure in the national Capital.

Though government agencies are spending taxpayers’ money on providing “accessible infrastructure”, disability rights activists say it is of no use. “The public transport facility like Metro is disabled-friendly, but reaching it is a challenge for disabled people, especially for wheelchair users,” Abha Khetrapal, a disability rights activist and president of Cross the Hurdles, said.

“I’m a proud taxpayer, but I can’t use the road infrastructure. I paid GST on my motorised wheelchair, which I can’t use on the streets of Delhi. This is nothing but discrimination,” Khetrapal, a wheelchair-user, said.

Activists rightly argue that accessible infrastructure is required not just for people with disabilities but also for the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with medical condition or temporary disability.

Government agencies such as the public works department (PWD), which is responsible for the maintenance of road infrastructure, does provide tactile paths, ramps on either side of the pavements, and handrails to assist disabled persons. But the infrastructure is not developed as per street design guidelines.

Two years ago, the PWD, on Delhi University’s request, retrofitted the road infrastructure in the North Campus to make it accessible for all. “But it is not up to the mark,” Bipin Tiwari, officer on special duty, equal opportunity cell at the Delhi University, said.

“They are not sensitive to the requirement of people with disabilities. The tactile paths on pavements can’t be used by visually impaired people. There are drains underneath the pavements, which are often left open when maintenance work is on. This can prove to be dangerous. The handrails have been installed without any planning,” Tiwari said.

Similarly, the road outside Lok Nayak and GB Pant hospitals was developed by the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi keeping in mind pedestrian requirement. But today, it is a challenge for pedestrians to walk on it. The wide passage along the pavement is encroached upon by hawkers and used as parking. Even inside the Maulana Azad Medical College campus, which has four major hospitals, pedestrians have little space to walk.

Dr Satendra Singh, professor at University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) in New Delhi, said, “A large number of hospitals and medical infrastructure are not disabled-friendly.”

The situation is almost same in other parts of the city.

While a majority of road users are pedestrians – even car users have to walk some distance — the road infrastructure in the city is designed for cars. The biggest hurdle for pedestrians, especially disabled people, is crossing the road. While pedestrians avoid using foot overbridges and underpasses as it is inconvenient, the infrastructure is inaccessible for people with disabilities.

Disability rights activists say it is important to provide facilities to cross the road at-grade. From table-top crossings to pelican traffic signals, there is a need to upgrade the road infrastructure to make it universally accessible, they argue. “With simple changes in road design, we can make the city accessible for all. Pelican lights or pedestrian detection sensors should be provided on streets so that people can cross the road safely. Table-top crossings are essential and work as traffic calming measure. If the street design guidelines are implemented, a majority of the problems will be addressed,” Subhash Chandra Vashishth, disability rights activist and director of Svayam, said.

The problem at busy intersections on arterial roads, Vashishth says, is that people can’t cross them in one go. “There is a need to create refuge islands so that people, especially wheelchair users, can easily cross the road. There should be street furniture on pavements so that people can rest,” he said.

TD Dhariyal, state commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, says there is a need to sensitise government officials and contractors about disability. He recommends punitive action against officials in cases of lapse in providing accessible infrastructure. “It has been decided by the government to develop Delhi as a model accessible city. To begin with, the New Delhi area will be taken up first and the model will be replicated by others,” Dhariyal said.

Dhariyal admits infrastructure in the city is inadequate. “The markets are inaccessible. One of the common complaints is of inaccessible pavements, and then toilets, among other issues. While government agencies need to provide adequate infrastructure, there is a need for constant monitoring and enforcement of the law,” he added.

First Published: Jan 24, 2019 14:27 IST