I would like to share a bad experience of a special kid travelling in Southern Railways on the 7th September, 2010 on a trip to Bangalore.
“Every train has four berths for disabled people in the portion near the guard’s cabin, in the front and the rear of the train, but it is not disabled-friendly when it comes to allotting berths for such passengers. A resident of Mangalore who was accompanying a special child from the city to Bangalore by Kannur Express on confirmed reserved tickets recently had a tough time due to overcrowding in the coach meant exclusively for disabled people. The compartment meant to accommodate two disabled persons and their escorts had over 50 people. Having to sit for 11 hours cramped and no place to move, It was extremely difficult to even use the restrooms as there were people sleeping all over the floor. Repeated requests, asking people to co-operate went unheard. There is not even a guard or a TC visiting the compartment. One feels extremely helpless and let down. This only humiliates the bonafide disabled rail commuter.
Even as the passengers are expressing inconvenience, the railway officials are in no mood to pay attentions to passenger’s grievances. All we request the Railway Authorities not to repeat this kind of hardship to the Passengers in general and Disabled in particular.
