Dignity Through Mobility

The decision of the Omar Abdullah Government to sanction free ridership for differently abled persons on JKRTC services and the e-buses run by the Jammu and Srinagar Smart City companies deserves unreserved appreciation. This initiative was long overdue. For differently abled citizens, small gestures carry disproportionate weight. Barring the fortunate few in Government service, life for most is a daily struggle - for income, for dignity, and for the simple ability to move about a city that was never designed with them in mind. Public infrastructure across India remains largely unfriendly to such citizens: footpaths without ramps, offices without lifts, and transport without a single fitting that acknowledges their existence. Against that backdrop, a waiver of fare is not merely a concession; it is an acknowledgement that mobility is a right rather than a privilege.

However, the experience of the free travel facility already extended to women offers a cautionary lesson. A common complaint is that Government buses simply do not stop for them - the fare being nil, the incentive to halt disappears. If that grievance has persisted for years without redress, what confidence can a differently abled commuter have that a bus will stop, wait, and allow him the extra minute he needs to board? The problem is compounded by scarcity. Services are limited, and buses routinely run beyond capacity, with passengers pressed against doors and windows. Traffic police have lately turned stricter towards Government transport on overloading, which is welcome in itself, but it further reduces the space available on each trip. In such a scenario, whether a fare waiver translates into an actual seat remains an open question.

The workable answer is reservation. A few seats on every bus, clearly marked and enforced, would convert a paper entitlement into a practical one. Equally important is the physical design of the vehicles. Do our buses carry any provision for comfortable boarding and alighting - a ramp, a lower step, or a handrail placed where it can actually be gripped? Without these, a free ticket is of little use to someone who cannot climb aboard. Conductors and drivers must also be sensitised.

The Government has taken a good decision, and it should be commended for it. But the announcement is the beginning of the exercise, not its conclusion. Reserved seating, accessible vehicles, trained staff and honest monitoring are what will carry this promise from the file to the footboard.