CHENNAI: The construction of a new restroom for persons with disabilities at the Nungambakkam Railway Station has met with mixed response from the public.
According to Shabir, a differently-abled person, “I commute daily by train from Tambaram to Nungambakkam. It is a good initiative, but the fact is that it is not easily accessible for us. For instance, one has to climb steps to reach the toilet. It would have been better if a ramp was provided.”
“Even to reach the premises, one has to climb the stairs and we can see many elderly people finding it difficult to do so. Same goes with persons with disabilities”, says Latha Ramakrishnan, a regular at this station.
Speaking about the issues faced by the community, Selvi Nagarajan, a commuter states, “If reaching the Nungambakkam station is a herculean task, the problem at Egmore is worse. To get a ticket here, one has to climb up and down the stairs. I wonder why authorities do not consider making public places usable for the differently-abled.”
“The Railways should prioritise construction of elevators at the stations for the convenience of all commuters in general and the differently-abled at large”, suggests Praveen, a social activist and resident of Nungambakkam.
When News Today contacted the Divisional Manager of the Southern Railways, it was informed that the issue would be taken up and the needful would be done at the earliest.