CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation and disability rights' activists continue to lock horns over procuring kneeling buses, but Madras high court-recommended advocate A E Chelliah says operating such buses is feasible.
The transport department earlier told the court it could operate only 342 low-floor buses and not on all major routes passing through narrow roads, subways (facing inundation during rains) and roads where metro rail work is on. As disability rights activists opposed this, the court ordered a trial run, organised along routes chosen by activists and MTC. On route 26, a bus had to halt in the middle of the road at Palm Grove bus stop as wheelchair users boarded/alighted so that ramp can be unfolded, resulting in congestion. Also, buses found it tough at junctions on Rajamannar Salai, Arcot Road, Alwarthirunagar and Lakshmi Nagar because of short turning radius, MTCsubmitted.
On route 14M, the front portion hit the floor while entering Adambakkam terminus. Vaishnavi Jayakumar, who filed the PIL, said there was no difference in width of low-floor and high-floor buses. "Therefore, width of the corridors poses no additional difficulty." In his report, advocate Chelliah said drivers found it difficult at sharp bends on diverted roads but it was 'only 20% struggle. He said if 10 buses are operated during peak hour, seven can be low-floor. When metro rail work is complete, all 10 can be low-floor buses.
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