Source – https://www.financialexpress.com/business/railways-indian-railways-offers-fare-concessions-to-4-categories-of-people-with-disabilities-says-ashwini-vaishnaw-3338620/
Publisher – Financial Express
Indian Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday via a written reply that four categories of people with disabilities are offered concessions in passenger fare from the Indian Railways, as per a report by PTI.
The minister’s response came in response to a query by JD(U) MP Sunil Kumar Pintu. He had inquired about the government’s position on fare concessions for differently-abled individuals. Pintu questioned whether autistic persons have been excluded from the Railways concession list, despite autism being recognised as a disability.Responding to inquiry, Vaishnaw said that the concessions in fare are given to four categories of differently-abled people. The categories he listed are, (i) orthopedically handicapped/paraplegic individuals requiring an escort for travel, (ii) mentally-retarded individuals needing an escort for travel, (iii) individuals with total absence of sight, and (iv) individuals with both hearing and speech impairments.” He further highlighted that the government provided a subsidy of 59,837 crore on passenger tickets in the fiscal year 2019-20, resulting in an average concession of 53 percent for every person traveling on Railways.
Indian Railways enhancing passenger experience
Earlier this month, Vaishnaw said that digital display boards have been installed in over 12,000 train coaches to enhance the experience of passengers. These boards display various kinds of information to the passengers, including next station, the destination, the train running status, and other safety messages.
Trains like Vande Bharat, Push-Pull, TEJAS, Humsafar, and EMU and MEMU have been fitted with such display boards. These boards are also present in AC economy coaches and VISTADOME coaches, with glass roofs and large windows for panoramic views.
(With PTI inputs)
