Push for low-floor buses

Getting up the high stairs of a Bangkok bus is a struggle for many people, particularly the handicapped. Now there is a campaign to get more convenient and safer low-floor buses on the streets.

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Young children and women climbing up the steep steps are a normal sight. Photos by Melalin Mahavongtrakul.

An online petition on Change.org has been going since October last year to campaign for a type of bus that can cater to everyone’s needs — one with a low-floor that’s more friendly to people with disabilities. So far, more than 40,000 people have signed the petition with the aim to raise concerns and convince the transport authorities to take action.

Here is the short story on one man who would greatly benefit from the change. You can read the full, much longer story here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/interview/421679/how-low-can-you-go

Anuchit Seangmueang, left, at the Foundation for Consumers in support of the campaign for low-floor buses.

How low can you go?

Melalin Mahavongtrakul

If you are old or disabled, those stairs are a mountain to climb.

Anuchit Seangmueang, a 32-year-old employee of Siam Nissin company, has a problem that most people wouldn’t understand: mobility. Going from one place to another feels like a feat for him, because Anuchit is unable to walk and gets around in a wheelchair.

Buses are one of the most affordable modes of transport for most people, including Anuchit, but another problem arises when he’s getting on one. If he travels with friends or cousins, there is plenty of help as he struggles to climb onto the bus, wheelchair in tow. When he is left to his own devices, he relies on the kindness of strangers, which is sometimes non-existent.

“When I travel alone, I can only hope that there will be people who can help me. But, if they aren’t in a situation where they can help, then I have to crawl up the bus myself,” says Anuchit. “That still leaves the wheelchair [on the ground], though. So again, someone has to help me. When they see me struggling, I guess they pity me and decide to lend a hand.”

Aside from this hardship, he is also subjected to impatient glares of those in a rush. Getting a disabled man and his wheelchair on board takes time, and Anuchit does not wish to delay anyone. So to avoid the hassles, Anuchit no longer travels by bus. He mostly relies on catching taxis when he needs to go somewhere. It is an expensive method of travel, and some taxis even refuse him.

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