CE 310

Transportation Engineering
SEMINAR REPORT
Mobility of Physically Weaker Persons

Prepared by: Kriti Bhargava Deepali Jaiswal Abhishek Awnish Kumar Vikas Anand Saloni Mehta 08004033 08004038 08004055 08004056 08004063 08004069

CONTENTS
Sr. No. Topic 1. Introduction 2. Problems faced by physically weaker sections 3. Issues and Trends in 21st Century Transport i. Legislative process ii. Development of public transport iii. Present scenario in India iv. Present scenario in developed countries 4. How the Indian scenario can be changed 5. Bibliography Page No. 2 4 5 5 5 6 8 10 13

INTRODUCTION
Policies on the mobility and transport of the elderly and the disabled have developed centering on those who are the objects of welfare measures. Since the 1970s, the terms normalization and barrier free design, which are basic terms related to welfare, have been used together with the term welfare community development that integrates the first two terms. After 1990, when the popularization of barrier-free design started to accelerate in fields such as architecture and transport, the term universal design made its debut as a term for measuring everybody, thus departing from the idea being limited to the disabled or elderly. Some prefectures and cities set up a universal design office. There are two major trends concerning policies for and growth of Local Transport Systems for the elderly and disabled. The first is that conditions that prevent social participation by the disabled have been deemed discriminatory in legal terms. The second trend is that policies and technologies to promote social participation by the elderly and disabled in terms of transport have become much more concrete. This trend has two aspects, one of which is special measures. These include the operation of Special Transport Services (STS) for elderly and disabled people who cannot utilize conventional transport, and measures to support people who can get around by car. The other aspect has arisen from the viewpoint of Universal Design. It inclines toward design technologies (accessible design, usability, safety) that enable the elderly and disabled to utilize conventional transport, user and supply side subsidies, and social inclusion, to enable mobility on a par with that of able-bodied people, through information systems. Today, accessibility for transport is an important issue to maintain the sustainability of our society. Laws and regulations order all new transport facilities be accessible, and transport companies are now trying to introduce accessibility into existing facilities. The experience so far teaches us that it is easy to realize an accessible facility when the facility is newly constructed, but it is strenuous and expensive to introduce accessibility into existing facilities, especially large public transport facilities such as underground stations. Accessibility in public transport has previously been regarded as an additional service designed especially for those who cannot manage ordinary facilities.

Table 1: Number of persons with disability in each State/UT as of December 2002 State/ Union Territory Jammu & Kashmir Himachal Pradesh Punjab Chandigarh Uttaranchal Haryana Delhi Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh Bihar Sikkim Arunachal Pradesh Nagaland Manipur Mizoram Tripura Meghalaya Assam West Bengal Jharkhand Orissa Chhattisgarh Madhya Pradesh Gujarat Daman & Diu D & N Haveli Maharashtra Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Goa Lakshadweep Kerala Tamil Nadu Pondicherry A & N Islands All-India
No. of Disabled Persons 338996 266232 502045 31150 147231 363575 120948 773631 2385626 1206806 129952 66923 98073 226565 112431 233622 147231 445586 1605668 375013 692350 301762 961746 627617 47941 40884 1640468 1357444 758300 31150 50131 735911 1489830 120462 56945 18490243

PROBLEMS FACED BY PHYSICALLY WEAKER SECTIONS

Social barriers (including high cost, lack of disability awareness, and communication
difficulties)

Psychological barriers (such as fear for personal safety) Structural barriers (including infrastructure, operations and information barriers)

1. The problems experienced by mobility-handicapped people are as wide ranging in scale and nature as the nature of the disability or condition which produces the mobility handicap. 2. People in wheelchairs have very obvious problems in moving and travelling about, especially in moving over uneven or icy surfaces and in mounting steps and kerbs. Specific, but well defined, measures are needed to accommodate them. They only account for three or four percent of the people who have difficulty in travelling, but measures to help them help everyone, mobility-handicapped or not. 3. A greater number of people have sensory problems (deficiencies with seeing, hearing or speaking) which make it difficult or impossible for them to find their way, select an appropriate public transport service, buy a ticket, alight at their chosen destination or communicate with other people (including transport staff) on the way; people with intellectual impairments share many of the same problems. Better provision of information to help this group will also help able-bodied people. 4. Arthritis, loss of limbs or impaired motor functions produce specific physical problems with one or more aspects of travelling: for example, climbing a kerb, boarding a vehicle, walking to a stop or station, and standing waiting for the service to arrive. Again, measures to help this group will also help all other travelers, especially those with luggage or children, and frail elderly people. 5. A large proportion of the mobility-handicapped population is frail elderly people or people with a weakening condition (such as heart disease) for whom many or all aspects of a typical journey, even in a local area, are impossibly tiring. 6. People with allergies have specific problems in any new environment and, for example, in Sweden, they number about four per cent of the population -- even more than the number of people with severe visual impairment.

ISSUES AND TRENDS IN 21ST CENTURY TRANSPORT

A transport issue affecting the disabled and elderly is the need to develop transport access environments that enable the disabled and elderly to compete from the same starting point as the able-bodied.

LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
Human rights Important points in the legislative process in advanced Western countries are that: 1) Everyone has been assigned equal rights, and 2) As a result, subsidy systems for making public transport accessible have become much more substantial. Regarding legislative developments, there is a huge difference between countries with laws that protect human rights, and countries that do not. Therefore, laws that guarantee mobility based on human rights are essential. Civil Rights Examples where equality in terms of transport is guaranteed on the basis of human rights include the US Rehabilitation Act and the Canada Human Rights Act. Consequently, fairly major results are being achieved regarding the accessibility of public transport in both countries. Minimal guarantee of mobility One issue is how to implement a minimal guarantee of mobility for the disabled and elderly.

DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Expense of accessible public transport Although for accessible transport such as trains and buses, mobility measures for wheelchair users in vehicles and terminals are progressing, measures regarding sign systems and audio information for people with sensory disabilities (visual or auditory) remain to be implemented. Special Transport Services (STS) Door-to-door services for the severely disabled are under development in all countries, but because they require large financial resources, efforts are being made to reduce expenses. Also, if transport measures are taken for disabled and elderly people with a certain level of disability, there is a need to combine transport systems in efforts to achieve services with higher capacity and quality for the same money.

Combination of means of transport The development level of means of transport varies in accordance with various local conditions. In response, it is necessary to provide various means of transport. 1. Improve the continuity of conventional public transport, such as railways, LRT, and buses. 2. Develop STS for people who cannot use existing public transport 3. Operate DRT as a way to fill the gap between buses and STS

PRESENT SCENARIO IN INDIA

The MVA (The Motor Vehicle Act) is a national regulation covering all road traffic. Access issues are not yet included, but the Committee on Access is in the process of suggesting suitable amendments. The amendments under consideration relate to: i. ii. iii. iv. Specifications for entrance and exit doors, the height of foot boards, the width of space between rows of seats; Provision for hearing-impaired persons to obtain driving licences; Visual and auditory signals throughout the public transport system; and Training for public transport staff and traffic police officers.

1. The Current Situation Regarding Access i. Public transport

Very few railway stations have ramps and lifts. Visual destination signs are also rare. Large railway stations, bus terminals and airports have public announcement systems which benefit visually-impaired persons. In local buses, the arrival times are announced through a public address system. There are no Braille information boards in stations and airports. The Committee on Access has prepared plans for the development of Nizamuddin Railway Station in New Delhi. It will be a model railway station providing all basic access features for disabled and elderly persons. It will provide an example for other similarly busy stations to follow. Similar steps have been taken to improve access in domestic airports. Indian international airports are barrier-free. Local buses are overcrowded and almost completely inaccessible to a wheelchair user. There are no lifts in buses and usually no ramps at bus stops.
6

ii.

Roads and walkways Urban zones have surfaced roads, but a large number of rural areas do not. In the absence of proper maintenance, surfaced roads become uneven and rough. Mud and sand roads in rural areas are not favorable for elderly and disabled persons. Pavement height, footpaths, road dividers and speed breakers are not regulated by guidelines or standards. Unauthorized constructions and extensions shrink pavement space. Beggars and homeless persons occupy large areas of walking space. The covering of gutters, sewers and manholes is mandatory but has not yet been enforced by law. Until enforcement takes place, damages cannot be claimed for accidents.

2. Constraints to Implementation
The process of formulation of access legislation and policy provisions has been introduced very recently. It has included the active involvement of disabled persons and local NGOs. The following constraints have been experienced: i. Lack of sensitivity to access issues among policy makers, town planners, architects and engineers; ii. Lack of human and financial resources to enforce and monitor such legislation; iii. Lack of proper regulation of building construction activities in rural areas; iv. Lack of effective enforcement mechanisms for building by-laws; and v. Lack of proper development and maintenance of roads.

3. Suggestions for Cultivation of Awareness of Access Issues

It is essential that policy makers, town planners, architects, local officials, professional associations of building developers and educational institutions become sensitive to access concerns. To achieve this, the following measures are proposed: i. Access issues should be projected as matters related not only to disabled persons, but also to all sectors of society. If these issues are projected in isolation of the needs of society at large, they are not likely to occupy national attention. For example, if a ramp for entry into and exit from a building is linked with fire protection, in addition to access, it will perhaps be viewed with greater interest than if it were seen to meet the need of wheelchair users only. ii. Access issues should be part of the course requirements for diplomas and degrees in architecture, urban planning, building design, transport and engineering. This will lay a good foundation of trained human resources for improving accessibility. The Government of India is contemplating modification of its national awards scheme to include an award for the improvement of accessibility. Workshops and seminars to raise awareness of access issues among policy makers, architects and engineers have been organized and will increase.
7

PRESENT SCENARIO IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

The developed countries being economically advanced have taken various initiatives and implemented laws to promote equality of access and ease of mobility for physically weaker sections. This includes initiatives as introduction of light aircraft and systems for making trains accessible, improved accessibility of road transport at airports (taxi, rental car, shuttle bus), and accessibility of inter-city buses. The different developed regions have provided various facilities to ensure this.

U.S.A.
1. 2. 3. 4. The 50% rule: At least 50% of regular buses must be made lift buses. Para transit supply: Demand Responsive Transport services using lift vans. Combination of Para transit and regular buses. Over six years from 1998, 5% ($3.5 billion) of the total financial resources ($71.3 billion) in the Federal Highway Administration Authority budget was diverted to the Federal Transit Authority, for measures for the elderly and disabled.

Canada
Local transport facilities for weaker sections include: 1. Conventional public transport (conventional) 2. Picking up and dropping off of disabled people (custom) 3. Transport that is not especially restricted to disabled people (par transit)

Europe
1. Special Transport Service within and across provinces. i. Ambulance services: These primarily involve the use of ambulances for picking up and dropping off people at hospitals outside of emergencies. ii. Community Transport: To provide support from the volunteer angle it is permitted for volunteer groups to receive fares to cover fuel and insurance costs and with subsidies from the Department for Transport. iii. Taxi card: Taxi card holders are subsidized part of the fare. iv. Community Car Scheme (Social Car Scheme): It permits people (primarily in remote areas) to give rides, and charge for them, using their own car. v. Service routes and flex routes: Service routes are operated for semi-ambulatory people and flex routes are demand-driven transport without routes. 2. Streets and Pavements : Ramped kerbs to enable people in wheelchairs to cross the road 3. Conventional buses and coaches: i. Lower steps and textured, color contrasted, handrails are two major improvements. ii. Designs of raised platforms at bus stops and small "bridges" on the buses have proved successful.
8

Slopes are installed for the wheelchair users. Low-floored allowing easy access for ambulatory disabled people and also permit passengers in wheelchairs to enter are introduced. v. New buses with lifts and no internal steps 4. Trains and metros: i. Where the height difference is less, access is improved by providing portable ramps ii. Facilities for all types of mobility-handicapped people, such as induction loops at ticket offices for people with hearing impairments, accessible lavatories, better signing, announcements on and off trains. iii. Lifts to platforms and mobile lifts for train access are in use. iv. Improvement to facilitate the accommodation of disabled people and allow access by people in wheelchairs to on-train facilities v. New coaches with lift to be fitted in older trains 5. Modern technology has led to sophisticated adaptations which allow very severely disabled people to drive. Several countries have independent centers where individual people can be advised on the appropriate adaptations for them 6. Fare discounts to disabled people who meet specific conditions.

iii. iv.

South Africa
1. Providing the availability of public transport information services to Special Needs Passengers through appropriate technology. 2. Increasing the font sizes and background contrast in which timetables are printed. 3. Deployment of ramps and lifts away from the main travel way. 4. Major public transport facilities where passengers experience long waiting periods are provided with at least one accessible ablution facility. 5. Major public transport facilities are provided with audio and visual announcement systems indicating the arrival / departure of vehicles. 6. All stops are provided with kerbed stopping areas and shelters. 7. Provision for Dial-a-Ride, brokerage or volunteer services. Almost the same provisions for disabled and elderly people are found in China, Australia and Japan though Japan has been extremely lagging in accessible initiatives for trains, buses, remote areas, and so on. Apart from these China calls for one more provision: In order to make it accessible for the disabled, a disabled parking space must be set up in parking area with more than 65 spaces.

HOW INDIAN SCENARIO CAN BE CHANGED

Specific solutions to the above mentioned barriers/problems vary from place to place and country to country, experience across the world has shown that good access practice has four essential elements in common. Spelling the acronym "SARA", they are: Safety, Accessibility, Reliability, and Affordability. Unsafe conditions both deter vulnerable users, and contribute to further injury and disability.

1. Improving existing facilities:

i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii.
viii.

ix.

x.

Introduction of new coaches in the older train that facilitate lift and space for wheelchairs Building of a little slope on all stops Hydraulic rams at the doors of buses Improving bus shelters Widening entrances into the shelter to at least 1 meter Increasing the height of benches to a height of 600mm; Providing large print route information signs in the shelter; and Removing barriers in or near the shelter which hinder movement or could injure users. Improving footpaths and pavements (sidewalks) should be an early priority for enhancing mobility, as walking is the major mode for many (especially poor and marginalized) people, and some of the more expensive interventions (such as improving buses) are meaningless unless people can get to and from the vehicle. Introducing low floor buses

10

Fig.1 Large print route information at bus stop

Fig.2 Upgraded footway with tactile path

Fig.3 Lower first step into bus, Pune

2. New facilities:
i. ii. A different lane for the handicapped people on road to avoid accidents Accessible mass transit: New subways can be designed in a better way than early models. Cars can be made level with the platforms. The surfaces can be textured to provide a secure walking surface. Smooth acceleration and deceleration can reduce accidents. A wide variety of supports and hand holds can be made available offering alternatives. Elderly and disabled passengers can be sold a transit pass at reduced rates which allows them to use the bus as frequently as they require. Many elderly and disabled people find it difficult to use fare boxes or to pay the fare while the bus is in motion. The transit pass will help them.

iii.

11

3. Parking facilities:
i. ii. iii. Special parking privileges for elderly and disabled: They can be given a sticker which indicates that the vehicle is operated by a disabled person or elderly. At least one space located near the entry of all public and commercial facilities is reserved for disabled motorists/ elderly people. When the disabled person has disembarked, there must be a safe route to a pedestrian walkway without passing behind parked cars since people seated in wheelchairs may not be seen by drivers backing out of their parking spaces.

4. NGOs and Volunteers:

i. ii. Volunteers can come forward to help create awareness about the various rights available to physically weaker sections as in India awareness is a big problem. NGOs can be encouraged to offer dial-a-ride services for them. This can be done by Government by making it compulsory for the private companies owning vehicles to lend a few vehicles to these NGO for a stipulated time, hence getting tax reduction for themselves and provision of resources for various NGOs. Individuals can come forward to help these NGOs by providing themselves as the driving person

iii.

12

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books and Reports: 1. Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Handicapped Persons, Gordan and Breach, 1982 2. Transportation engineering, Sriramulu and Nagumani, 1977 3. Community Transport System: http://travelplus.org.uk/media/157414/supporting%20statement%20%20community%20transport.pdf 4. Inclusive Mobility For an Aging Society: Asia, Lalita Sen. Websites: 1. www.google.co.in 2. http://www.un.org/disabilities 3. UK: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=23 4. Australia:http://www.theage.com.au/national/public-transport-to-be-improved-forelderly-20081217-70t3.html 5. Disabled Tourism: http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php?title=Disabled_Tourism 6. http://www.disabilityworld.org 7. Canada: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/policy/transed2007-pages-1101-1841.htm 8. USA:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/Rulemaking/Rules/Associated%20Files/Lift_FinalRule_Dec27-02.pdf 9. Statistics: http://www.karmayog.com/images/ratnanidhi.pdf, http://www.disabilityindia.org/transportneeds.cfm and http://mospi.nic.in/rept%20_%20pubn/ftest.asp?rept_id=485&type=NSSO

13