A 35-year-old athlete and dancer, Neetu Mehta, was denied entry into a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus despite the vehicle being equipped with a wheelchair-accessible lift. Mehta, a resident of Charni Road, said the issue was not the lack of infrastructure but awareness and preparedness, as the bus conductor and driver admitted they did not know how to operate the lift.
“I was returning home from my dance class at Grant Road’s Nana Chowk area to Charni Road. When I saw bus A-121 — which plies between Backbay Depot and Nepean Sea Road — approaching, I thought I would check if the buses were accessible for people like me. Before that, I had already asked the staff of four other buses if they could accommodate me, but each driver simply said ‘no’ and avoided any further interaction,” Mehta told mid-day.
Neetu Mehta, a wheelchair-bound athlete and dancer who emphasises the need for improvement in bus design and staff training. Pics/BY Special Arrangement
To document the issue and raise awareness, Mehta asked a friend, also a wheelchair user, to record a video of the incident as she requested assistance from the staff of bus A-121. In the video, the conductor and driver can be heard saying that while the bus has a wheelchair lift, they do not know how to operate it.
“Some drivers and conductors don’t even want to talk to us. They’re in such a hurry to leave the stop. We face this kind of treatment every day. That’s why most disabled people don’t even bother asking if a bus is accessible; we already know the answer will be ‘no’. Even local trains are not easily accessible. For short distances, we have to rely on taxis or ask others for help. And even private taxis often avoid us. We expect the government to step in and ensure that public transport is truly accessible to everyone, not just the able-bodied,” Mehta added.
Neetu Mehta, wheelchair-bound athlete and dancer
She further emphasised the need for improvement in the design and training, “If the BEST staff are finding it difficult to operate the existing lift system, then perhaps it’s time to redesign the mechanism to be more user-friendly. If the system is too complicated for the staff to operate, how will they ever use it for passengers like us?”
The incident, which occurred earlier in September but went viral on social media last week, sparked social media outrage and highlighted the serious gaps in accessibility and inclusivity in Mumbai`s public transport system.
Official speaks
A BEST official confirmed that the Tata Motors’ buses in the transport body’s fleet are equipped with mechanical lifts designed specifically for wheelchair users. Responding to the incident, a BEST official told mid-day, “There are 340 BEST buses of Tata Motors that come with mechanical lifts for wheelchair users. Our drivers and conductors are trained in how to use them. In this case, the bus staff should have assisted the woman as the lift is fully functional and accessible. We will take this issue forward and ensure that such incidents are not repeated. The lift mechanism is not complicated — it works on simple buttons and the entire process takes just five to 10 minutes.”
The viral incident has sparked widespread criticism of Mumbai’s public transport infrastructure and the implementation gap in making it truly inclusive. Disability rights activists are now urging BEST and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to conduct regular training and audits to ensure accessibility measures are not just symbolic, but functional and inclusive in practice.
