For Hamari Vani, I am Rajesh Kumar Patand from Natpura village, Delhi Chaurasi. Friends, I would like to share a few thoughts about the Delhi Metro, especially regarding the facilities provided for people with disabilities and our other divyang (differently-abled) companions. I have noticed that in the Delhi Metro, there is also an arrangement for wheelchairs for those who have difficulty walking or cannot walk at all. I have personally seen that when one of my companions was sitting next to me and the station arrived, as soon as he slightly raised his hand, an attendant immediately came with a wheelchair to assist him. This gave me a great sense of satisfaction. Nowadays, you can also apply for the Metro card online, because sometimes when we buy paper tickets, if they get folded or damaged, the machine does not accept them, and we have to stand in line again. But if you get a smart card, you don’t have to face all these problems—just tap your card at the entry gate and again at the exit gate, and that’s it. The Delhi Metro provides many such facilities for people with disabilities. Inside the metro premises, there are also tactile paths (trails) for the visually impaired, which have been specially constructed for their convenience. What is really needed now is that organizations working for the visually impaired, especially in big cities, should take the initiative to organize mobility training from time to time at railway and metro stations. This would help us navigate and travel with even greater ease and confidence.
