NEW DELHI: With the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment sanctioning Rs 1.01 crore to the Delhi Transport Corporation for making all 70 bus shelters on the entire stretch of its route 620 disabled-friendly, Delhi will soon become the first city in the country to have such an arrangement.

Expressing happiness at the development, human rights organisation Samarthya -- which has been working for promotion of disabled-friendly barrier-free environment -- has stated that with this Delhi will take the lead in the making of an accessible means of transportation for persons with disabilities, senior citizens and those with reduced mobility.

Samarthya convenor Sanjeev Sachdeva said all the groups concerned were now confident of making the bus queue shelters properly and speedily as the first barrier-free bus shelter had already been constructed by DTC in association with Samarthya at Hauz Khas on the principles of universal design and now all that needed to be done was to replicate the model.

Already an access audit team of Samarthya comprising persons with diverse disabilities, architects and engineers has conducted a Research Study with Action Aid India in November and December 2005 to provide the user groups' perspective on bus shelters, Low Floor Buses (LFB) introduced by the Delhi Government and the upcoming High Capacity Bus System in New Delhi. The audits have covered the entire stretch of route 620 falling within the DTC jurisdiction from South Moti Bagh to Hauz Khas Terminus.

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