Railways, please stick to the pattern : Mislaid tiles threaten safety

A formal complaint has flagged lsquocritical gapsrsquo in the design and implementation of tactile paving and accessible signage across Mumbairsquos suburban railway stations by the Walking Project which works to make Mumbairsquos footpaths more walkable safe and accessible The complaint petition states that the tactile tiles at every station follow a different pattern despite the existence of a national standardA Khar station platform which adheres to accessibility guidelinesThe complaint warns that inconsistent and incorrect usage is creating confusion and safety risks for visually impaired passengers Vedant Mhatre programme director of the Walking Project said ldquoIt is being wrongly used across suburban stations The result confusion on platforms missed paths and in some cases dangerous missteps At Dombivali warning tiles meant for hazards have reportedly been laid out like guiding pathsmdashblurring the line between lsquosafe to walkrsquo and lsquostop danger aheadrsquordquo For a visually impaired commuter that mixup can be the difference between staying on the platform and stepping off itWhat are tactile tilesFor visually impaired passengers safe and independent navigation depends on a clear continuous and intuitive system built on two fundamental principlesgtgt Warning tiles dot patterns to indicate hazards such as platform edges staircases level changes and decision pointsgtgt Guiding tiles linear patterns to define uninterrupted movement routes across the stationPlatform 3 of Dombivli railway station where warning dots have been wrongly used instead of linear guideline tilesWhat national guidelines sayAll existing and future works must strictly comply with the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban AffairsThe Tactile Ground Surface Indicators TGSI provide guidance and hazard warnings for visually impaired users through dot warning and line directional patternsIt must be used selectively with proper dimensions min 600 mm depth strong contrast correct orientation and continuous obstructionfree paths Installed at crossings stairs ramps entrances and key routes it should be planned holistically mdash poor or partial use can be unsafeWhat is the issueThe problem Western and Central Railway stations exhibit inconsistency and in many cases incorrect application of these elements leading to confusion and safety risksPlatform 1 of Thakurli railway station where a confusing mix of guidelines has been installedThe irony The city already has working models Khar Road station and the Mumbai Metro network have been singled out for getting it right with their clear continuous and readable tactile systemsThe demand Audit everything and follow the rulebook speedily With stations being revamped under the Amrit Bharat scheme Mhatre warns that bad design today will become a bigger hazard tomorrowKey examplesgtgt At Dombivli railway station warning tiles have been used in place of guiding tilesgtgt A recently commissioned foot overbridge at Ghatkopar station lacks tactile pavinggtgt A jumble of tactile guidelines exists on platform 1 of Thakurli stationgtgt There is no continuity in the tiling on platform 3 at Santacruz station Though it is appropriate the paving is poorly maintained 2021 incidentCentral Railway pointsman Mayur Shelke is remembered for his splitsecond heroism where he jumped onto the tracks and ran in front of an approaching train exposing the absence of reliable tactile paving at the platform edge The mother of the kid who fell on the tracks was visually impaired and she had failed to gauge the edge of the platform What appeared to be a dramatic rescue was in fact a preventable lapse missing or poorly implemented tactile tiles posed a lifethreatening riskOfficialSpeak a spokespersonCentral RailwaylsquoCentral Railway is implementing Divyangfriendly initiatives including tactile pavings in a stepbystep manner Lacunae will be corrected on priority as per guidelines We request users to bring discrepancies to the notice of the authorities so appropriate corrective action can be takenrsquoHarmonised Standards and Guidelines for Universal Accessibility in India issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban AffairsA spokespersonWestern RailwaylsquoWestern Railway has tried to follow all the guidelines of the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility and the new Khar station is our best example We are replicating the template at all other stations as wellrsquoDesign principlesUse sparingly avoid clutterconfusionVedant Mhatre programme director Walking ProjectMinimum600 mm depth for detectabilityStrong visual contrast3050 percent luminanceProper orientation warning tiles perpendicular set back 300 mmPlacement At crossings stairs ramps entrances transport areas and key navigation points mdash both outdoors and indoors