KOCHI: To make metro transport disabled-friendly, Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) had introduced tactile paving at metro stations — inside and outside — a few years ago. The yellow coloured blocks have bumpy surfaces that help blind pedestrians navigate their way safely, like Braille script helps them read. It also prevents them from stumbling on hard surfaces, including the edge of the platforms.
KMRL says the tiles are laid inside all its stations on the Aluva-Petta stretch. However, not all stations have the tiles outside. Moreover, at some places – like the footpath from the busy Padma Junction to MG Road — the placement of tactile blocks is far from safe for visually-impaired pedestrians. At various places, the blocks are damaged, making the pathway confusing for such commuters.
The footpath to MG road metro station is in bad shape, affecting pedestrians in general. The middle of the walkway has raised platforms, and a few slabs have sloped entry points. The tactile blocks are placed unevenly on the raised platform, leaving huge gaps.
“Walking alone can be dangerous on this stretch. There are tactile blocks inside the stations and the staff help us if needed. Outside though, cable wires are lying in a heap on the pavement, making it hard for us to identify the blocks,” says Manikandam P, a visually impaired commuter working in an automobile firm.
The footpath outside MG Road station was constructed by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) under the MG Road development project, says a PWD official. “The tactile tiles used by DMRC could only be pasted onto the pavement and made replacing a single unit that got damaged difficult. So, when the drains got blocked during the flood, we had to take all the slabs out to remove the waste and place new ones. This left gaps between them. Also, the tiles were laid unevenly due to raised platforms. We have submitted a proposal before the government for renovation. We are planning to place removable ‘paver blocks’,” says the official.
The baggage X-ray counter and metal detectors inside the stations are placed over tactile blocks. At Maharajas station, the walking area lacks tactile blocks in many places. There are no blocks outside Kalamassery station either.
Nithin Joy, who works in a call centre, said many visually-impaired people prefer buses. “There are people to guide you when you are taking the bus. At metro stations, though tactile blocks are placed, a person who has not received mobility training cannot decipher them and navigate properly. KMRL should place the tactile blocks a few metres after the metro station too, so we can access other modes of transport after getting down from the metro,” he says.