Wheelchairs available at 5,868 railway stations across country to assist divyangjan and senior citizens: Union Minister Vaishnaw

New Delhi [India], December 10 : Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, said that wheelchairs have been made available at 5,868 railway stations to assist divyangjan (physically challenged) and senior citizens.
"Additionally, 196 battery-operated vehicles have been made available at 79 major railway stations, prioritising divyangjans, senior citizens, sick passengers, and pregnant women," Vaishnaw said, as per the Ministry of Railways.
Also, concessional online ticket booking has been extended to Divyangjan (physically disabled) and patients with certain illnesses.
"Wheelchairs are provided by the Railways, free of cost, to attendants of Divyangjan, Senior Citizens, etc., to assist them in boarding and alighting trains. However, when attendants are unavailable, licensed porters (Sahayaks) can be hired at a fixed nominal rate to escort the Divyangjan, etc. Information in this regard will be displayed at prominent locations on the railway station premises. Currently, wheelchairs are available at 5868 stations across Indian Railways," he said.
Other initiatives have also been undertaken to provide improved facilities for elderly, disabled, and sick passengers.
"Firstly, in the computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS), there is a provision to automatically allot lower berths to Senior Citizens and female passengers aged 45 years and above, even if no choice is given, subject to accommodation availability at the time of booking. A combined quota of six to seven lower berths per coach in Sleeper class, four to five lower berths per coach each in Air Conditioned 3 tier (3AC) and three to four lower berths per coach in Air Conditioned 2 tier (2AC) classes (depending on the number of coaches of that class in the train) has been earmarked for senior citizens, female passengers 45 years of age and above and pregnant women," Vaishnaw said.
Instructions have been issued to earmark a minimum of seven seats for senior citizens in the 1st and last 2nd-class general compartments for the entire period of local train services on suburban sections of all Zonal Railways.
"After departure of the train, if there are vacant lower berths available in the train and if any person with disability booked on the authority of handicapped concession or a senior citizen or a pregnant woman, who has been allotted upper/middle berth, approaches for allotment of vacant lower berths, the on board Ticket Checking Staff has been authorized to allot the vacant lower berth to them making necessary entries in the chart," the Railway Minister said.
The following reservation quota for Divyangjan has been earmarked on all Mail/Express trains, including Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains, irrespective of the availability of concessional facilities for Divyangjan, he said.
First, four berths in Sleeper class (two lower and two middle). Second, four berths in 3E or 3A class (two lower and two middle). (The class out of these two, i.e. 3E/3A, in which quota is to be earmarked, can be decided by the Zonal Railway concerned, keeping in view the number of coaches of that class available in the train).
Third four berths in the Special Reserved Coach for Disabled (SLRD) coach of Garib Rath Express trains, and lastly four seats in reserved Second Sitting (2S)/air-conditioned Chair Car (CC) in those trains that have more than two coaches of these classes.
Instructions have been issued that, in all Mail/Express Trains (except fully reserved trains), SLRD coaches should be treated as unreserved coaches earmarked for the exclusive use of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan).
"For Garib Rath Express Trains and other fully reserved trains, these coaches are treated as reserved for Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) travelling on a handicapped concession, on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to payment of the due fare for that class. Instructions have also been issued that in the tickets issued through the Computerised Passenger Reservation System, to the extent feasible, one lower berth should be allotted to the Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) and the person accompanying him/her as an escort should be allotted middle/upper berths near the person with disability, subject to availability of accommodation," Vaishnaw said.
He further highlighted that after departure of the train, if there are vacant lower berths available in the train, and if any Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) booked on the authority of handicapped concessional ticket, who has been allotted upper/middle berth, approaches for allotment of vacant lower berths, the on-board ticket checking staff has been authorized to allot the vacant lower berth to them making necessary entries in the chart.
Separate counters are earmarked at various Passenger Reservation System (PRS) centres to handle reservation requisitions received from Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), senior citizens, and Others. MPs, MLAs, accredited journalists, and freedom fighters: if the average demand per shift is less than 120 tickets. If there is no justification for earmarking an exclusive counter for any of these categories of persons, including Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), one or two counters, depending on total demand, are earmarked to handle reservation requests for all these categories, according to Vaishnaw.
"Concessional online ticket booking facility has been extended to Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) based on photo identity cards issued by the Zonal Railways and to patients suffering from certain illnesses. One escort accompanying the Divyangjan and patients with specific diseases is also eligible for the same concession," he said.
"Battery Operated Vehicles (BOVs) are provided at major railway stations to passengers on a 'first-come, first-serve' basis with due preference to Divyangjans, Senior Citizens, Sick passengers and Pregnant women. This facility is provided 'free of cost' through Corporate Social Responsibility/Sponsorship and on a chargeable basis through a service provider. At present, 196 BOVs are available at 79 stations, of which 165 are chargeable, 10 are free via the publicity route, and 21 are free via the CSR route," the Railway Minister said.