Team – Mera Mitra deep dives into how to get the Railways Photo Identity Card issued by the Indian Railway for the disabled persons, and the key facilities introduced at the Indian Railway Stations for persons with disabilities.
What facilities can a person with disability expect to receive on Indian railways?
- Facilities have been planned at all stations (especially all A-1, A and B category of stations), including: Standard ramp for barrier free entry; Earmarking at least two parking lots; Non-slippery walk-way from parking lot to building; Signages of appropriate visibility; At least one toilet (on the ground floor); At least one drinking water tap suitable for use by persons with disability; and ‘May I help you’ Booth.
- Yatri Mitra Sewa has been introduced at major railway stations for enabling passengers to book wheel chairs services cum porter services free of cost through NGOs, Charitable trust, PSUs etc. under CSR and responsibility of providing this facility has been entrusted with IRCTC. In case of lack of response from NGOs, Charitable trust, PSUs etc. this service may be arranged on payment basis through a service provider or on its own.
- Zonal railways have also been instructed to provide one wheel chair per platform and in case of island platforms one wheel chair per two platforms at all A-1 and A category stations.
- Zonal Railways have been authorised to introduce Battery Operated Vehicles (BOVs) at major Railway Stations for persons with disability, elderly and ailing passengers on ‘first come first served’ basis through sponsorship from individuals, NGOs, Trusts, Charitable institutions, Corporates and PSUs/Corporate Houses under their Corporate Social Responsibility with no charge to passenger or to the Railway. 80 BOVs have already been provided at 54 major railway stations. Further, instructions have also been issued to Zonal Railways to invite Expression of interest for providing the facility of Battery” operated Car service on payment basis initially at all Al category stations keeping in view the financial sustainability of the service. This facility can be availed by passengers on ‘first come first served’ basis, however, preference shall be given to Sr. Citizens, persons with disability, pregnant women and medically sick passengers.
- Separate counters are earmarked to various Passenger Reservation System (PRS) centres for dealing with the reservation i,requisitions received from persons with disability, Senior Citizens, Ex. MPs, MLAs, accredited journalists and freedom fighters, if the average demand per shift not less than 120 tickets. In case there is no justification for earmarking of an exclusive counter for any of these categories of persons including persons with disability or senior citizens, one or two counters depending upon the total demand are earmarked for dealing with the reservation requests for all these categories of persons.
- In allotment of STD/PCO booths at Railway Stations, 25% booths have been reserved for persons with disability (including blind) with disability of 40% and above.
- In addition, railways is planning to introduce facilities in the long term at ‘A-1’, ‘A’ & ‘B’ category stations, including: Provision of facility for inter-platform transfer.; and Engraving on edges of platform.
What concessions are provided to persons with disabilities by the Indian railways?
The following concessions are provided in Rail fare to persons with disability:
|
S. No. |
Category of persons with disability |
Percentage of concession |
|
1 |
Orthopedically handicapped/Paraplegic persons who cannot travel without escort – for any purpose. However, can book ticket with or without escort. |
|
|
2 |
Mentally retarded persons who cannot travel without escort- for any purpose. However, can book ticket with or without escort. |
|
|
3 |
Blind persons travelling alone or with an escort – for any purpose |
|
|
4 |
Deaf & Dumb persons (both afflictions together in the same person) travelling alone or with an escort – for any purpose. |
|
Please note: Concession is admissible in the basic fares of Mail/ Express/ Rajdhani/ Shatabdi group of trains all other charges like reservation fee, supplementary charges etc. are to be paid in full.
Why do you need Railways Photo Identity Card ?
This card is a mandatory requirement for Persons with disabilities to book train tickets at concessional rates on IRCTC website or at reservation counters.
Who is Eligible to Get Railways Photo Identity Card?
The following four categories of disability are eligible to obtain the Photo Identity Card.
- Persons with orthopaedic disabilities (physical disabilities), who cannot travel without an escort or assistance.
- Persons who are Mentally retarded (Intellectual disabilities ) who need an escort.
- Persons who are blind (complete sight-loss) traveling alone or with an escort.
- Persons with hearing and speech disabilities (Totally deaf and mute person), with both conditions.
- In addition to these four broad categories, the concession is also allowed to persons with certain ailments, including those who have : Cancer, Heart-conditions, Non-infectious leprosy, T.B., Kidney-conditions, Haemophilia, Aplastic anaemia, Sickle-cell anaemia etc.
What is the procedure to obtain the Photo Identity Card for Getting Concessional Railway Ticket for persons with disabilities (Handicapped Persons)
- Step 1: Approach the nearest D.R.M office: You need to visit your nearest Divisional Railway Manager’s Office with the application and all the relevant documents in original as well as self-attested photocopies. The application submitted for the purpose should be addressed to the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM) of the division. When you submit your application, the envelope containing the documents and the application should have legibly written heading “Application for issue of Railway Identity Card for Physically Challenged Persons for Ticketing”. Relevant documents are:
- Concession Certificate or Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card
- Photo Identity Proof (e.g. Aadhaar Card)
- Date of Birth Proof
- Address Proof
- 2 passport size colour photo
- Attested photocopies of these documents.
- Step 2: Verification of the submitted documents by Commercial Inspector. Once you submit your documents along with the application the concerned officer would get them verified from a commercial inspector. The procedure will move forward only after the inspector verifies that the issuing hospital, doctor and the details mentioned are all correct. Only the concession certificate issued by a government office of the concerned zone will be entertained.
- Step 3: Hand over the Photo Identity Card to the concerned person. After the verification process is complete you’ll get a call from the D.R.M Office about the date and time for collecting your photo identity card. The disabled person can send a representative on her behalf to collect the identity card. In such a case, the representative must have an authority letter (a handwritten permission by the Person with disability and duly attested signature of the representative) in order to get the Photo Identity Card from the D.R.M Office.
- Step 4: De-validation of the Concession Certificate. While issuing the photo identity card with unique 11 digits identification number, the D.R.M office will endorse the information on the original concession certificate by pasting a stamp with all relevant details. Once the details are endorsed, your concession certificate becomes useless. Now you have to use only the photo identity card for all further transactions with the Railways.
How to use Railway Photo Identity Card?
On IRCTC website, there is an option to book a train ticket under disability (handicapped) quota online when you login to the IRCTC website. Once you click on the check-box on that reads “I’ll book in special concession (Physically handicapped and Journalist Passengers)” , a dialogue box will appear. The dialogue box tells that if you book a concessional ticket you need to carry a photo identity card issued by the Railways. The escort or attendant too needs to carry a photo identity card mentioned at the time of booking. You will need to provide your unique 11 digits ID number. If you are booking the ticket at the ticket window then you may have to submit a photocopy of the identity card at the counter. In this case, too you’ll have to carry the original photo identity while traveling through railways. Don’t forget to carry the original photo identity card to be checked during the journey.
How to book ticket for the escort/attendant?
When a person with disability is to travel with an attendant then the attendant’s identity is also important. While booking tickets online you’ll get a list of 10 valid IDs for the attendant from which you have to choose the one which the attendant will carry while traveling with you.
what will happen if you lost your identity card?
you will have to get a new photo identity card. In case you lost your photo identity card, you’ll first need to file an F.I.R. and take a copy of the same. After this you’ll have to follow the same steps (as explained above) but this time your relevant documents will have a new partner – the photocopy of the F.I.R. In case of expiration of the card you are expected to start your process of getting a new photo identity card three months prior to the expiration of the old card.
What do I need to do after the Photo Identification card expires i.e. 5 years after the issuance of the photo identity card?
you will have to get a new photo identity card. In case of expiration of the card you are expected to start your application process of getting a new photo identity card three months prior to the expiration of the old card.
Any other information that I should know about booking train tickets?
- A reservation quota of four sleeper class berths & 2 berths in 3AC class has been earmarked in all trains running on non-suburban sections for persons with disability performing their journey on handicapped concessional ticket.
- The escorts or the persons accompanying the persons with disability is also allotted the berth out of this quota.
- Instructions have also been issued that in the tickets issued through Computerised Passenger Reservation System, to extent feasible, one lower berth should be allotted to the person with disability and the person accompanying the persons with disability as. escort should be allotted middle/upper berths near the persons with disability subject to availability of accommodation.
- After departure of the train, i’f there are vacant lower berths available in the train and if any person with disability booked on the authority of handicapped concessional ticket, who has been allotted upper/middle berth, approaches for allotment of vacant lower berths, the Conductor/Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) has been authorized to allot the vacant lower berth to them making necessary entries in the Chart.
- Specially designed coaches known as SLRD coaches with wider entrance doors to allow a wheel chair to enter, wider aisles and modified toilet with 4 berths, the lower two for persons with disability and upper berths for attendants have been attached in almost all Mail/Express trains except Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi Express Trains and Duronto Express Trains. Instructions have been issued that in all Mail/Express Trains, the SLRD coaches should treated as unreserved coaches earmarked for exclusive use of persons with disability. In case of Garib Rath Express Trains which are fully reserved trains, these coaches are treated as reserved for booking by persons with disability travelling on the prescribed certificate on payment of full fare of 3 AC class of Garib Rath Express on first come first served basis.
In case you have any further query or you find something missing in the article leave a comment.