THE Shenzhen Municipal Transport Commission recently announced plans to add more handicapped-accessible public buses and bus stops across the city, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

    The commission said it would increase the number of handicapped-accessible buses each year and hopes to gradually bring the total number of such buses to 10 percent of all buses in Shenzhen.

    It also announced plans to complete the construction of around 800 handicapped-accessible bus stops by the end of this year.

    The commission’s move was in response to a suggestion put forward by Du Hong, one of the deputies to Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress, at the local annual legislature’s conference earlier this year.

    The grooved paths meant to guide blind people in the city run 232 kilometers and more than 20 underpasses and 272 footbridges have wheelchair ramps. However, it does not meet the demands of many handicapped residents in Shenzhen, according to the news report.

    Most of the public buses are not equipped to help disabled passengers get on. The lack of wheelchair ramps on some pedestrian footbridges also makes it difficult for handicapped residents to cross roads.

    Other public spaces like schools don’t have accessible toilets and elevators for disabled children either. Du said that handicapped-accessible facilities should be built in all public places.

    The transport commission has already put 3,050 electric buses into use in the city with 1,250 equipped to help handicapped residents board.

    Another 3,600 handicapped-accessible electric buses will come into service at the end of this year, the commission said.

    According to a document released in 2010, new schools will be constructed with handicapped-accessible facilities and old schools are required to improve the facilities for students with special needs.

    (Zhang Qian)