This Technology Is Helping the Visually Impaired Find Buses in Chennai

In a bid to make public transport more inclusive for the visually impaired, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation in Chennai will be outfitting 75 buses in the city with radio frequency transmitters.

Plying in 10 different routes across the city, announcements will be made well in advance (about 10 to 15 minutes) on whether a particular bus is on its way. Hence those who are visually impaired won’t have to rely on asking for assistance when it comes to locating the buses they want to travel in. Officials note that if a bus carrying the transmitter breaks down or develops a problem, then the transmitter will be transferred to another bus plying in the same route.

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A group that works with the visually impaired identified the 10 routes for MTC and the officials have also been told to refrain from diverting those buses in order to avoid confusion.

Image for representation. Photo source: Wikimedia

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Kumar Manish, who is the founder of Urban Voices, a platform that works on urban mobility and governance, spoke to the Times of India and noted that transportation across the country should become more inclusive. He said, “It is important that every city address the issue holistically, like incorporating design elements for streets that support and facilitate movement of visually challenged. Few bus stop locations are clearly marked and bus information is not provided in braille. Walking to bus stops is still a major challenge for visually challenged.”

In order to get more information on the buses and the routes that will offer this serivce, MTC can be contacted here

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