Almost Br2.5 billion was allocated in 2008 for the creation of an accessible environment in Vitebsk

April 2, Vitebsk / Sergey Kotovets - BELTA /. Almost Br2.5 billion was allocated for the creation of a barrier-free environment in Vitebsk in 2008, the Vitebsk City Executive Committee's Department for Labor, Employment and Social Protection informed a BELTA correspondent. Financial resources were allocated from the city budget, and the enterprises of the regional center also attracted their own funds. During the implementation of the target program "Barrier-free Environment for Physically Weakened Persons in Vitebsk for the second half of 2006 and 2007-2010", measures were carried out in 2008 to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities at almost 50 social facilities. The work was mainly carried out in residential buildings for the installation of ramps, handrails and other devices, as well as in public buildings and structures, and on street road network facilities. At the same time, the barrier-free environment created at a number of public facilities not only meets construction standards but also fits into the architecture of the buildings. New facilities commissioned last year took into account all construction norms and rules for creating a barrier-free environment, including at Vitebsk City Clinical Maternity Hospital No. 1, the buildings of the Regional Court, the City Central Children's Polyclinic, and other facilities. In addition, the public transport fleet of the regional center is actively replenished with buses adapted for persons with disabilities. In 2008, almost Br1.5 billion was allocated for these purposes, and 5 low-floor buses were purchased. The new vehicles are equipped with a "running line" system, and a kneeling system (body tilt) is used during boarding. In 2009, it is planned to complete the formation of an electronic database of buildings and structures in the city, which takes into account the presence or absence of a barrier-free environment, and information on more than 2,000 facilities has already been entered into it. Based on the results of the ongoing inventory, buildings requiring work to create a barrier-free environment will be identified, and adjustments will be made to the city program. According to the Department for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the City Executive Committee, more than 14.3 thousand disabled people live in Vitebsk, including 780 children with disabilities. -0-