To make railway journeys friendlier and safer, the Southern Railway has installed Braille navigation maps at the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station and Egmore station. This initiative will help the visually impaired travel from one station to another on their own.
It is a 3x3 feet map fixed at the entrances of the stations. The map will guide the visually impaired passengers to different sections like ticket counters, concourse area, water taps, toilets which are differently-able friendly, waiting rooms, foot over bridge, cloakrooms, platforms, entry and exit points, escalators, lifts and more. These maps will also have QR codes which can be scanned on smartphones to activate the audio messages feature. It will help in guiding passengers to their desired destination.
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Along with this benefit, the Southern Railway has also built the platform with checkered and tactile tile with stainless steel handrails which is helpful for the passengers to cross the footbridges. Similar facilities are in talks to be installed in Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Arakkonam and Katpadi railway stations.
As per reports, Dr. Ramani P Mathai, who works with the visually impaired said,” The installation of Braille boards in Chennai and Egmore railways stations is a welcome step by the Railways. The visually impaired will now be able to navigate through the station to reach the platforms where they are headed as well as get directions to reach toilets or to places they intend to travel within the station. A great initiative by the Southern Railway.”
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As per the press release, the Braille navigation maps are sponsored by Renault Nissan and Standard Chartered Bank. It is a part of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
