Dear Hon’ble Minister of Railways,
Regarding what you said about ‘antyodaya’..
We urgently need retractable ramps on all train coach doors. A coolie lifting 80–90 KG wheelchair does not provide dignity to anyone. Remember Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. The least we could do for those who struggle like Hawking. Please respond to this with your support.
Even a folding ramp (same tech as used by Egyptians 5000 years ago for pyramid) underneath the top step with a hinge will do. Images on Google showing ppl using forklift for embarking on viklang coach. India is no superpower until this gets done.
Unless you can have detached ramps along the platform like fire extinguishers (yeah, there is a third option)— I cannot take pride in any Hyperloop, bullet or metro train project.
In our societal quest or lust for ‘upward mobility’, we are ignoring the irony. A BJP MP from Vadodara, Balkrishna Shukla had asked the ministry in 2012 to raise platform height to door level between and within stations, nothing happened about it.
A simple ramp is not just for the wheelchaired, but also for those with crutches, strollers, walking sticks, arthritis and regular folks with heavy luggage. This is as big a humiliation as assigning them upper berth. Wasting money on hydraulic lifts..
3 or 4 ramps here or there will simply not cut it for the world’s largest and busiest transport network (and still growing) of the seventh-largest and second-most populous landmass.
Apply Mahatma Gandhi’s Talisman. And if you want to read further on the changes w.r.t railways that I propose, kindly do read this link:
Sincerely,
A fellow citizen
