German delegation lauds Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation’s accessibility push

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) hosted a delegation from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on Tuesday, where officials commended its work on accessible public transport.

The visit focused on ‘Dhwani Spandana-OnBoard’, an assistive audio navigation system designed to improve bus accessibility for those with visual impairment.

KSRTC Managing Director Akram Pasha briefed the delegation on the project and showcased the national award it received.

The delegation — Christine Toetzke, Director General at BMZ, Barbara Schäfer and Christoph von Stechow — was briefed on the OnBoard system developed by the Raised Lines Foundation and scaled with support from GIZ under the Green Urban Mobility Innovation initiative.

They experienced the device in operation on KSRTC city buses and praised the corporation for adopting user-centric solutions and expanding the system across Mysuru’s fleet, a news release said.

Applauds green corridor at Majestic station

The delegation also appreciated Namma Metro’s use of a green corridor.

In a meeting with Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh after visiting the Majestic metro station, officials noted that the station is accessible to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

The chief secretary asked them to meet the managing director of the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Corporation to explore opportunities for generating solar and wind power across the state.

The delegation will also participate in discussions on infrastructure projects, including tunnel roads and Namma Metro’s Phase 3.