A ramp provided for physically challenged persons on a bus in Mumbai. (TOI file photo)

NEW DELHI: Buses with more than 13 seats will require to have provisions for ramp for wheelchairs , their locking system and other features to meet the requirement of physically challenged persons . In a first, the road transport ministry has issued a draft norm to make these features mandatory for buses to get fitness certificate .

It's illegal to ply any vehicle without having a fitness certificate. Buses and commercial vehicles need to renew their fitness certificate annually.

According to the draft notification, the buses would need to have features including priority seat, signs, handheld rails to provide as priority seats, walkers, handrail and stanchions. "While some low floor buses running in Metros have the ramp facility for wheelchair entry, but locking system is hardly provided in these buses. Without proper earmarking of space for wheel chair and to lock them, the facility has little use for the physically challenged," said a ministry official.

Sources said that the ministry will have to take a call about the mandatory roll-out of the norm since the requirements will be different for low-floor city buses and the normal ones. Meanwhile, in another move the transport ministry has come out with the draft rule to allow vehicle and automobile accessories manufacturers to etch microdots on any vehicle or component for tracing them.

