No public amenities for the elderly
The Millennium City is all about youth and energy, pubs
and fast cars. So it seems. And, what do the elderly population of this
bustling satellite city do? Understandably nothing, since there are very little
civic amenities available for the elderly in the city, whether it's the roads,
or the transport options or the entry-exit points at government offices.
For starters, the volume and speed of the unregulated
road traffic poses as a major hindrance for the elderly, both as pedestrians
and as drivers.
"Motorists will have to learn to respect the
presence of the elderly on the road. With age, the elderly have problems of
diminishing vision, including ailments like cataract. Hence, high-beam driving
at night must be strictly discouraged since bright light from oncoming vehicles
easily hampers visibility, especially for the older people. The police must
enforce laws strictly so that the elderly do not find it difficult to cross
roads or drive around," said T N Ahuja, senior ophthalmologist and
president, Niramaya Charitable Trust.
Similarly, when they are approached by the elderly with
grievances, there is a need for Gurgaon's administrators to be especially sensitive
and responsive to the elderly. Experts also feel administrators at government
offices can easily minimize the visits of the elderly by giving them priority
and by responding to the elderly as quickly as possible.
"This is a city which has great plans and dreams but
those which are seldom executed. Officials are least interested to act and
hence most of these plans become a part of files which are gathering dust in
most government offices," said Mangat Ram Bagri, councillor, ward 10.
According to experts and activists, civic infrastructure
in a modern city is never complete until it takes into account the concerns of
the minority groups - women, the physically and the mentally-challenged and the
elderly, among others. Public spaces, including public transport, should be
accessible to everyone, including the old and the handicap.
Low-floor, wide-door buses, recreation and reading rooms
dedicated to the elderly, doorstep public services on demand, people-friendly
and prompt policing are some essential measures that a city must adopt, say
concerned citizens. Unfortunately, Gurgaon lacks most of these basic amenities.
"This town is worst than a village with unmanageable
traffic, rowdy auto and rickshaw drivers and dormant officials. It takes me
close to one-hour-and-10-minute to maneuver my way from M G Road to Windsor
Palace, a drive which should not take more than 10 minutes. There are
committees being constituted every day but nothing seems to come through,"
said S K Dutta, former general secretary, Senior Citizen Council.
According to activists, a good starting point for this
kind of change can be the active senior citizen forums in Gurgaon, who can
initiate focused group discussions to identify the problems faced by the senior
citizens, identify elderly-friendly features in the city, and list down
everything that can improve the quality of life of the people in their evening
years.
These efforts should be supported by the administration,
say experts.
The Elderly In Public Spaces
Transport
Unlike the fleet of pink autos available for women, there
is no special transport option available for the elderly in Gurgaon. For
commuting, senior citizens have either the shared autos driven rashly from
point to point or autos on call and commercially run autos.
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