‘Make public transport suitable for disabled persons’

Life in urban areas especially in Dhaka city is an everyday ordeal for the people with disabilities as almost all the infrastructure and mass transport are inaccessible to them, participants of a public hearing observed on the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day on Thursday.

Differently-abled people shared their bitter struggle and demanded for special ramps in every building and public transport to facilitate them lead normal lives.

“A simple ramp in public transport can make our life way easier, but policy makers do not seem to think about it. How can we board a city bus while even normal people struggle to board. Even transport sector workers often disrespect us,” Tanima, a visually impaired woman, told a public hearing.

Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advisory Nexus (B-SCAN) organised the public hearing, ‘Status of Women with Disabilities in Mass Transport Accessibility’ at the RC Majumder Auditorium of Dhaka University.

Hawa Akhter complained that people with disabilities are entitled to pay half fare but she herself could not avail this in many city buses.

“The social welfare department is supposed to help us in this regard but they hardly do anything,” she added.

B-SCAN’s coordinator Iftekhar Mahmud said there is no chance for people with disabilities to lead a normal life in Dhaka city.

Providing people with disabilities access to public transport is one of the prerequisites to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

“Our policy makers must think about accessibility of disabled persons in the transport sector’s mega projects such as Mass Rapid Transit ( MRT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT),” Iftekhar added.

Visually impaired Ribika Munshi Shima said she travels by rickshaw in the city which cost her much more than bus, but buses are totally incompatible to her.

Another woman with disabilities, Sanjida Akhter, called for disabled women’s participation in reserved seat of the parliament.

Professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology’s (BUET) Accident Research Institute Mahbub Alam Talukder said, “We have lack of research on people with disabilities. We must increase research on them.”

He said the architects of the country should be made aware so that they are more sensitive in the issue.

B-SCAN’s general secretary Salma Mahbub said, “We are advocating for adding ramps at the buses for the persons with disabilities since 2012. We also held a design competition for including ramp in BRTC buses. But, this plan didn’t see light of day for various reasons.”

Replying to different questions of the participants, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation’s (BRTC) technical manager Mostafizur Rahman said initiatives to import buses suited for people with disabilities are underway.

He asked the participants to call at BRTC hotline if they do not get discount on BRTC buses.

Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority’s (DTCA) project director Nasir Uddin Torofder said that MRT and BRT mega projects are being built keeping in mind the needs of people with disabilities.

Nirapod Sarak Chai’s office secretary Firoz Alam Milan, among others, spoke at the programme.