Some buses in India appear accessible but aren't

From The Times of India:

AHMEDABAD, India -- BRTS buses may have ramps and low flooring aligned with bus stops flaunting a disabled-friendly image, but the reality is quite
different.

Once launched, BRTS buses seem to have wasted no time in shedding this tag. The aim of facilitating people on wheelchairs to get into the bus directly without any assistance is in complete contrast with the barricades put up inside the BRTS lanes.

According to Dr Bhushan Punani, director of Blind People's Association (BPA), earlier Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials had decided to make BRTS disabled-friendly. But all this changed once the service launched.

As per original plan, it was decided that a person on wheelchair would be able to enter the bus stop without any help, but there was a fear of leaving a huge opening for wheelchairs, as it might be used by two wheeler drivers.

"The initiative to have ramps at the bus stop and a platform aligned with the bus was a first-of-its-kind initiative, but all these are useless without any entry."

Punani further said that AMC deployed beepers at junctions for the disabled people, so that when there would a beep sound when signals for walking go green.

Ketan Vaghela who is visually impaired said that they have signals at BPA and University, but none at other bus stops. Hence, it becomes difficult to cross roads. He added that it was expensive for the disabled to travel in BRTS as they were given no concession.

Hence, disabled people prefer to travel by AMTS only. Earlier, while travelling along the ring road took 15 minutes, now people take over 90 minutes to reach BPA.

Associate director CEPT University and chief planner for BRTS Shivanand Swami, said BRTS has not neglected the disabled people. "They are very much a part of the entire system. There are special tiles fixed at bus stops for an easy access. The diagonal bollards on bus stops will be given enough space for a wheel chair to pass through. The efforts are on to make this happen," he added.