The Illusion of Inclusion: Examining the Failure of Accessibility Implementation of Public Transport Systems in India

The extent to which individuals with disabilities may participate equally in society is contingent upon the accessibility of urban public transit, beyond mere infrastructural concerns. Significant discrepancies persist between legal requirements and the real experiences of individuals with disabilities in India, despite the country's official ratification of the UNCRPD and the enactment of domestic legislation such as the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. This paper employs a qualitative methodology to assess the effectiveness and execution of public transportation accessibility in four major Indian metropolitan areas: Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. The interview data was evaluated using narrative analysis, uncovering persistent themes of social apathy, systemic neglect, and exclusion. Commuters without disabilities exhibit a spectrum of feelings, from empathy to apathy, indicative of entrenched cultural stigmas and ableist norms; concurrently, transportation personnel often lack adequate training, understanding, and institutional backing. The paper indicates that infrastructure development, urban planning, and operational culture are the three primary variables influencing the variability of accessibility practices between areas. The research uses academic frameworks such as systemic ableism and Crip Theory to analyse the framing and reaction to disability in public life. It further provides policy-level recommendations, including the need for localised implementation methods, ongoing staff training, coordination among many stakeholders, and public education initiatives to reframe accessibility as a fundamental aspect of societal responsibility of everyone; not to be taken as an additional work.