Sunday 19 September 2010

Mumbai Trains - Handicapped Compartments


Here's the funny thing about the handicapped compartments in Mumbai's local trains. You can only travel in them if you are permanently disabled (missing limbs, digits, organs; polio; cancer, etc.) and have a medical certificate from a railway official saying the same. This means that injured people (who don't fall in the permanently disabled category) are automatically excluded from travel in handicapped compartments and have to travel either first or general class, even if those cars are packed.

Sounds strange? Let's take it one step further. A lot of permanently disabled people aren't really in a position that makes it difficult for them to travel first or general. This means that a person who's broken or fractured a limb and who genuinely can't travel in a crowded train, can't make use of the handicapped car, but a person who just happened to be born with one toe less and who is otherwise completely healthy and normal and in no way physically unable to travel first or general, gets a lifetime handicapped pass. Unfair?

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7 comments:

indresh said...

does a person with lost toe count in? really? what a stupid rule

said...

That's absurd and outrageous!
Oh btw are you injured by any chance? ;)

Daniel D'Mello said...

@indresh: Yes, any missing body parts counts as disabled, even if they can function fine.

Daniel D'Mello said...

@Saurabh: Yes, fractured my wrist, so was painfully made aware of the rules only recently.

said...

Oh.. sorry to hear that. Get well soon.

Unknown said...

Thank you for the info. It sounds pretty user friendly. I guess I’ll pick one up for fun. thank u

Used Cars in Mumbai

Prasanna said...

I'm guessing these rules are still the same eh.

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