CHENNAI: Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) together with C R Narayana Rao, a leading architectural firm, has constructed an almost ‘complete’ public transport terminal in Kilambakkam that violates the most basic accessibility requirements, according to Disability Rights Alliance (DRA).
Releasing Kilambakkam Bus Terminus Access Visit Observations report after an access audit was conducted on September 15, DRA said ramps in the bus terminus not only fail compliance with Harmonised Guidelines 2021 - the Rights Of Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016 statute standard, but they also do not match with CMDA approved drawings.
Vaishnavi Jayakumar, a member of DRA, told TNIE, “It is unfortunate that seven years after a similar access report with photo guidance for Chennai Metro Rail, DRA is highlighting the same violations for CMDA’s mega bus terminus project at Kilambakkam.”
“While CMDA set a good precedent in transparency by sharing some design drawings before the visit coordinated by Tamil Nadu’s disability department, it has remained silent on quests for signage and wayfinding design report, specifications for lift, escalators, drinking water facility, linked chairs, bunk beds and battery operated car and drawings for prayer room, dormitories, bus fingers, bus bays, and ticket booths,” said a statement from DRA.
This will further postpone the inauguration of the Kilambakkam bus terminus, which cannot legally or morally take place till the possible retrofits are made and a fresh access audit approves the same for usage by all. In 2017, the cost of retrofitting seven brand-new Chennai Metro stations for basic accessibility compliance was `90.3 lakh, as per the status report filed at Madras High Court. The status of DRA’s request for a similar exercise at the Kuthambakkam bus terminus, which is likely to be opened on December 2023 is unknown, the release said.
When TNIE asked CMDA member secretary Anshul Mishra whether any preliminary audit was being done, he said the terminus is under construction. Usually, the preliminary audit has to be done before construction begins. A major concern is the design. The different types of buses (floor height, length, fuel type, deck, rear axle configuration and comfort) have not been factored in, let alone diverse populations’ specific needs.
Similarly, bus terminals should have low-floor buses for intra-city use and wheelchair lifts for intercity high-floor bus use. This oversight is deplorable given the Madras High Court judgement, which states bus stops should be scientifically designed to suit the requirements of the disabled. The ramps not only fail compliance, but they also do not match CMDA-approved drawings.
As per the approved drawing, the external straight ramps at the entry to the terminal building depict in-between landings. However, these are not present in the executed ramps, the report said. “We have provided as per the original drawings approved. After the audit, we will provide all the additional facilities as requested given that those are within the norms and guidelines,” said the CMDA member secretary.