Sixty one (61) State Transport Undertakings (STUs), which are members of  Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU), are operating 1,45,747 buses, out of which 51043 buses have facility for boarding and deboarding for persons with disabilities.

The following initiatives have been taken by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to achieve the targets fixed in Accessible India Campaign:

1. 1. Circular regarding procedure for alteration in Motor Vehicles to facilitate the mobility of physically challenged persons
   2. Advisory regarding procedure for guidelines for granting registration certificates to differently abled persons and providing driving license for persons having monocular visions
   3. Advisories and letters issued to States/UTs from time to time, giving the following directions to  STUs to achieve targets of Accessible India Campaign :

3. 1. 25% of Government owned public transport vehicles should be made fully accessible by March 2019
   2. All bus stops/ terminals/ ports should be made accessible
   3. Facilities for speedy licensing and registration may be provided to differently abled persons.
4. BUS BODY CODE: AIS: 052 has been notified (GSR 287E) which contains special provisions for Disabled Passengers.
   1. All Type-I buses shall have at least two passenger seats in case of Mini & Midi buses and four passenger seats in case of other buses designated as priority seats for persons with disabilities.
   2. The seats designated for disabled passengers shall be indicated with appropriate sign(s).
   3. The priority seats shall be provided with appropriate facility for securing the crutches, canes, walkers etc. to facilitate convenient travel for persons with disabilities.
   4. Handrails and / or stanchions shall be provided at the entrance of all Type I buses in a configuration, which allows persons with disabilities to grasp such assists.
5. BUS BODY CODE: AIS: 153 has been notified (GSR 367E) which states that Fully built buses, with a seating capacity of 13 passengers or above excluding driver, manufactured on and after the 1st April 2019, by Original Equipment Manufacturers shall be in accordance with AIS:153, as amended from time to time, till the corresponding BIS specifications are notified under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 (11 of 2016).
6. Notification GSR 959 (E) dt. 27^th  Dec 2019 for providing Divyangjan features i.e Priority Seat, Signs, Securing of crutches/canes/walkers, Handrail/Stanchions, control at priority seats, wheel chair entry/housing/locking arrangement for wheel chair in buses w.e.f. 01.03.2020. 

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Accessible India Campaign Section (AIC) is the nodal agency of Government of India.

Central Advisory Board (CAB) in r/o AIC has fixed target of 10% by March 2018. The target was revised by Committee of Secretaries in its meeting dt. 2.4.2018 to 25% by March 2019.   Information in respect of 61 STUs is attached as Annexure.

ANNEXURE REGARDING DISABLED FRIENDLY BUSES 

             * Includes 8695 fully accessible buses.

  This information was given by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

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MJPS