UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR BUS SHELTERS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Bus Shelter forms a most critical part of the public road transport system and acts as a gathering space of a particular area, thus impacting on mobility for diverse population groups. The diversity presents opportunities and challenges in terms of age, abilities, socio economic and cultural backgrounds. The bus shelter environment has to be integrated and support the movement and usability experience of these diverse population groups including people with disabilities. Universal design as a strategy and a guiding philosophy becomes a panacea to resolve the complex perspectives of handling diversity in the bus shelter environment. It is an evolving concept and requires contextual references for its successful implementation. Universal Design inculcates the culture of incorporating the design for Persons with Disabilities from the beginning of conceptual design stage. Globally a number of countries have developed their own accessibility guidelines and policies using principles of Universal Design as the base. India has also developed UTPI guidelines. Indian bus shelter environment require a deeper understanding of the socio-cultural dimension of its users before beginning with the implementation of any Universal Design principles. The research attempts to fully incorporate such aspects covering the three basic components of a bus shelter environment namely physical, sensory and social. The physical component covers the spatial dimension and architectural characteristics of a bus shelter whereas the sensory component covers the how the physical elements are perceived by individuals. The social component establishes the fact that the waiting and queuing pattern at bus shelters, passenger behaviour and the kind of services provided also influences the overall mobility experience of any individual.