Panaji: Accessibility concerns have surfaced in Panaji’s smart city electric bus fleet after wheelchair ramp malfunctions reportedly left passengers stranded. The fold-out ramp mechanism installed in the EVs to assist wheelchair users and senior citizens requires a specific manual operation involving a lock system. However, in some buses, the ramp was jammed, which the staff attributed to extended non-usage. Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC), however, has attributed the incident to improper handling by bus staff rather than a technical fault.“The ramp is working. In the reported cases, the drivers were unable to open it. That appears to be the problem,” a KTC official said. “There is a lock fitted, which has to be pressed and pulled in a particular way. When we checked the vehicle later, the mechanism was functioning properly.”Preliminary findings suggest that the driver involved may not have been adequately trained to operate the ramp mechanism.“We are examining all possibilities, including whether the driver was properly instructed on handling this mechanism. When observed, he was unable to open it correctly, which indicates a possible training issue.”Passengers, however, have raised concerns about the reliability and ease of use of such systems. KTC clarified that the current ramp design is the only feasible option within the constraints of bus manufacturing and safety standards. “There is no provision for a permanent ramp structure in these buses,” the official said.
