Chennai: To improve access between concourses and platforms for the differently abled, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) will install staircase wheelchair lifts at Little Mount Metro station, where space constraints prevent ramp construction. The wheelchair lift will safely transport users along staircases between different levels of the station without having them to transfer from wheelchairs. Passengers can roll their wheelchairs onto lift platform and operate it independently to move from street level to concourse and across link bridges to platform level. The system enables users to remain seated while being carried up or down the staircase, removing need for physical assistance.“Unlike other stations, at Little Mount we could not build a ramp with the required inclination from street level to the lift due to space constraints. Based on feedback from an NGO, we decided to install a wheelchair lift. Another lift will be provided to enable access between the link bridges,” a metro rail official said. “In other stations, ramps were constructed at entry and exit points.” A similar staircase wheelchair lift was already installed at Anna Nagar Tower Metro station.However, disability rights activists cautioned that technology should not replace fundamental accessibility planning. Referring to CMRL’s transit-oriented development plans, Vaishnavi Jayakumar of the Disability Rights Alliance said the emphasis on commercial spaces should not result in airport-style long walks that make stations harder to navigate.She said future stations must be designed around the needs of people with mobility difficulties, rather than adding accessibility as an afterthought. She added that accessible routes should always be the shortest and most direct ones, pointing out that several constraints arise because pedestrian crossings cannot be provided along busy corridors such as Anna Salai.“Technology is no substitute for a well-built ramp. That is why we pushed for real-time service alerts on apps and social media when lifts are not functioning, so disabled people can avoid that station,” she said.
