The Supreme Court has underscored the need to improve transport access for persons with disabilities and suggested that cab services should be equipped to carry wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta noted that app-based cab services have become widely available, particularly in large cities, and should be adapted to better serve persons with disabilities.“Now, in larger metros, there are cabs everywhere. Cabs should also be asked to accommodate wheelchairs or assistive devices of these persons,” the Bench observed.
The Bench further suggested that app-based platforms could introduce dedicated options for accessible vehicles.“The apps can have provision for specified cabs which have been accordingly modified for these individuals… We have to find out the ways and means to help them,” the Court said.
The Court was hearing a plea filed by one Shivjeet Singh Raghaw flagging first-mile and last-mile connectivity challenges faced by persons with disabilities.During the course of submissions, Advocate Mohit Pandey, appearing for the petitioner, highlighted the practical barriers faced by wheelchair users while attempting to use cabs.
He submitted that most vehicles fitted with compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders lack adequate storage space to carry wheelchairs.Pandey also referred to design practices followed internationally and suggested adoption of similar universal design standards in India.
Explaining the difficulty faced by users travelling independently, the Bench posed a situation where a wheelchair user may have to travel a short distance from their home to the main road.“Take the case of a person whose house is, say, one km away from the highway or the main road. He comes on an automated wheelchair. If he doesn’t accommodate it in the cab, where does he leave it?” the Court asked.
The Counsel appearing for the Union government informed the Court that accessibility-related issues in public transport are presently under examination by the concerned department.It was also brought to the Court’s notice that a committee constituted under orders of the Supreme Court is already examining similar concerns raised in another petition.
The Bench then indicated that the issue raised in the present matter could also be considered by the same committee, given the overlap in subject matter.The case will be heard next on March 24.
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