Commuters who use the Tokyo Metro Rail system will get to avail a new train feature which is specifically designed for the visually-impaired. With the new system being set in place, people with visual handicaps will have better ways to get around the city independently.
Special barcodes in the form of QR-coded stickers were added to tactile blocks which can be found on the platform and near train exits. When these barcodes are scanned using a smart phone, an audio guide will provide users with specific directional information. The new system was initially conducted at Tatsumi Station along the Yukakucho Line during the week.
Tokyo Metro tries out New System to guide Visually-impaired Passengers
The visually impaired people who participated in the new systems test shared that the audio guide had helped them get around and find their way within the station while ensuring their safety and convenience at the same time. Most of them had expressed that the new system would also be particularly helpful for visually-impaired people who would be going to a train station for the first time, reported Fuji TV.
As one of the major forms of public transportation in the country, train stations within the region are estimated to service around 40 million passengers on a daily basis. With the high volume of people coming in and going out of these facilities, it’s easy to overlook people with special needs, who, along with the majority of passengers, also have to squeeze their way in to get a ride. But with a new system being tested by the Tokyo Metro Rail System authorities, all passengers – able-bodied or otherwise, can adapt to a new system which can better ensure safety and convenience for all service users that can also be said to be cost-effective and innovative in its own right.
The tests are said to continue until spring of next year.
To know more about the new system, you may check out Tokyo Metro’s official website here.
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