Keywords: App-based, Disability Rights, Transportation, Accessible
On Thursday, the Central government received a notice from the Delhi High Court regarding a plea requesting instructions to make app-based taxi aggregators accessible and user-friendly for individuals with disabilities.
Rapido was also served with a notice by Justice Subramonium Prasad, who also requested a response. The next hearing date for this case is December 20, 2024. Through counsel Rahul Bajaj and Mahoor Ghani, the court was hearing a case from banker Dipto Ghosh Chaudhary, who is visually impaired, and disability rights campaigner Amar Jain.
It was claimed that although the petitioners depend on the Rapido mobile ride app, the app is unable to meet the accessibility requirements of people with disabilities. The Rapido app is not the only one having problems; other taxi aggregators also don’t have a framework in place to accommodate those with disabilities, the Court was informed.
The argument made in the appeal was that Ghosh’s dignity was violated when a Rapido captain (driver) refused to give him a ride after learning of his impairment. The petitioner emphasized that it would be a clear breach of the RPwD Act’s Section 41(1)(b), which mandates that the government take appropriate action to ensure all transportation forms are accessible.
Therefore, in order to guarantee that all app-based aggregators’ digital offerings and operational procedures are accessible to people with disabilities, the petitioners asked the Central government to issue directives requiring the implementation of strict legislative mandates and operational guidelines.
In addition, the petition asked for guidelines for the imposition of a fine on Rapido for failing to make its app accessible to people with impairments.
References:
Name: Harmannat Kour, College: The Law School, University of Jammu, Class: 3rd Semester interning at Legal Vidhiya
Disclaimer: The materials provided herein are intended solely for informational purposes. Accessing or using the site or the materials does not establish an attorney-client relationship. The information presented on this site is not to be construed as legal or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon for such purposes or used as a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney in your state. Additionally, the viewpoint presented by the author is of a personal nature.
0 Comments