Many in India hail Mumbai’s public transport system as not every city has a reliable public transport system with good frequencies of trains and buses. But do the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply Transport (BEST) bus operators have adequate awareness to keep it accessible for differently-abled people? Recently, a video surfaced on social media showcasing how a physically disabled woman in a wheelchair could not board a BEST bus because the bus drivers had no idea how to operate the bus ramp. In the clip, it is clearly visible that the bus halts for the woman, but she is unable to board the bus as the people driving the bus have no idea how to set the ramp for her.
The clip was posted on Instagram by a handle named: neetu_mehta_wheelmywins. The post was captioned, “Ramp was there. Bus stopped for me. But I still couldn’t get in… because the person operating it wasn’t trained. Accessibility is not just about design – it’s about awareness too. Share this video to raise awareness and make sure no one faces this again.”
Her statement struck a chord, underscoring a critical point: infrastructure by itself cannot guarantee accessibility unless those managing it are properly trained. Public transport is meant to foster inclusivity, but without adequate training and sensitivity, the very systems designed to empower can end up excluding.
The video quickly went viral and sparked a huge debate online. A user wrote, “This is a reality nobody talks about.” The second user commented, “Why spend extra money procuring these buses if drivers and conductors don’t know how to use the ramps?” A third user wrote, "Why extra money is put into procuring these buses, when a specially abled person is not able to access the bus. Why are the drivers or conductors not trained or they dont want o help?" Fourth user commented, "Thanks for showing this reality thats why we just hate this complicated system of wheelchair." Fifth user suggesting an idea to create awareness wrote, "Let's use Instagram to start this awareness, even I have never seen in cities how bus bording handicap on wheelchair, not even once."