Passengers complaining of back pain while travelling in the public transport system could become a thing of the past as our own system has decided to make its seats more ‘back’-friendly.
The new fleet of low-floor buses, procured by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, which had already hit the road across the state, has taken steps to clip that ‘aching’ issue as the buses are coming out with backrests higher than their earlier editions. Through this, the new fleet is expected to become a favourite among urban commuters or could set its eye on revenue generation.
Another speciality is that it is not compromising on the safety of commuters as the bus would move only if the doors are locked.
“In the current low-floor buses, motion could be possible even if the doors are not closed. The new fleet would not have that slip-up. Even if the driver who controls the doors fails to close it, the system will remind him. The buses are coming out with more safe and comfortable options,” said a highly-placed KSRTC official, who requested anonymity.
The 45 buses flagged off the other day from Kochi were distinct from one another when it comes to floor height. The official said that the buses stipulated for Wayanad and Idukki districts are having a floor height of 900mm whereas the buses running in Kochi are having 650mm. The alteration regarding backrest height was said to be mooted by an advocate, N Jayachandran, based here. In a petition filed by him with the Chief Minister’s Public Grievance Redressal Cell in September 2014, he demanded the authorities concerned to do the needful to increase the height.
He cited that with the current specification the commuters are feeling uncomfortable and were complaining of neck and back pain. In response to the petition, the Executive Director (Technical) on behalf of the Chairman and Managing Director of KSRTC assured Jayachandran that action would be taken to increase the height of backrests in low-floor buses.
When Express inquired about this with M T Sukumaran, the Executive Director (Technical), he said that the matters relating to design were not in the hands of KSRTC and were undertaken under the Urban Bus Specifications of Union Ministry of Urban Development.
News: New Indian Express
