Special Buses for Disabled Students

The road to Delhi University will be much easier for the differently-abled from this year. DU is starting the special bus for students with special needs on the north campus from Tuesday. The bus service was inaugurated Monday, 13th July 2009.

Nearly 380 differently-abled students have registered with DU this year. As the new session begins on July 16, they will be able to use the bus service to commute within the campus for free. The bus will be available on Tuesday from Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station for the orientation programme being organized by DU's Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC) for the differently-abled.

Officials said it will be a circular service within the campus with a frequency of 30-minutes and may also connect the nearby colleges like Satyawati and Lakshmibai. EOC may start a similar bus service connecting the north and south campus in the coming months.

Students on the wheelchair can board it using a hydraulic lift fitted at the rear door. The bus has 18 seats along with room to accommodate four wheelchairs. It also has a crutch box, colour-contrasted handrails and stop request buttons. IIT Delhi students have fitted an audio announcement system in the bus.

According to officials, the driver and the conductor have been sensitized to the needs of the differently-abled. The conductor will carry a phone on which the students can call and know the location of the bus.

The bus was procured in February this year and planned to start service during the admission season. But it could not be put on the road because of administrative hurdles, say the University of Delhi officials. Some officials said glitches too delayed the service.

Abhishek Sinha