The safety gap fillers, which will be made of a specialised rubber compound, will be fixed at places where the doors open.
| Photo Credit: File photo

The presence of the gap between the platform and the Metro train doors is a cause for concern for persons with disabilities who use the service. While wheelchair-bound passengers worry that the wheels could get caught in the gap, visually impaired persons are concerned that their sticks may fall through it.

A decade after the launch of the service, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is taking steps to address the problem. The 54-km network has 41 elevated and underground stations. According to CMRL officials, they are planning to bridge the gap between the platform and the train by installing hard rubber strips at places where the doors open.

“We have received a lot of feedback that persons with disabilities and senior citizens with walking sticks are finding it difficult to board the trains because of the gap. We have floated bids now. In a couple of months, the contract will be awarded and the firm will design and install the safety gap fillers gradually this year,” an official said. The safety gap fillers will be made of a specialised rubber compound with a thickness of 10 mm, he added.

Vaishnavi Jayakumar of the Disability Rights Alliance said this move was long overdue and much welcome, but it had to be implemented at the earliest without further delays. “Ideally, it will be better to have a ramp or someone rolling out a ramp. But it is good to see that at least the safety gap fillers are going to be installed,” he added.

“It is more important that CMRL factors in these issues and ensures that these problems do not occur in the Phase II Project. Times are changing, and with CMRL planning to run driverless trains, we are moving towards a future with less human assistance. Hence, we must also ensure that we build inclusive and safe infrastructure accordingly,” Ms. Jayakumar said.