Delhi High Court Seeks Centre's Response On Regulatory Mechanism To Ensure Taxi Apps Are Disabled Friendly Prior To Their Launch

The Delhi High Court has directed the Union Government to file a response on the regulatory mechanism in place to ensure that taxi applications are disabled friendly prior to their launch.

“The respondent no.2/Ministry of Road Transport And Highways is directed to file an affidavit to place on record the regulatory mechanism that is in place to ensure that the application/s, such as the one introduced by the respondent no.1, comply with the necessary requirements for being disabled friendly prior to their launch, and have all requisite accessibility features as mandated under the law, particularly, under Rule 15 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017,” Justice Sachin Datta said.

The order was passed in a plea filed by disability rights activist Amar Jain and visually impaired banker Dipto Ghosh Chaudhary seeking directions on Roppen Transportation Services, a company that owns Rapido, to conduct an accessibility audit and resolve accessibility barriers in a timely manner.

The Court noted that the certificate enclosed along with the Accessibility Audit Report of Rapido revealed an “alarming state of affairs” as 207 accessibility issues were identified in the application and 81 of such issues were referred to as “High Impact (P0)”.

As the Court noted that the Rapido application was far from being 'disabled friendly', the petitioners' counsel, Advocate Rahul Bajaj submitted that stern action be taken against Rapido and also a penalty be imposed under Section 89 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

The counsel appearing for Rapido assured the Court that all the accessibility issues referred to in the Accessibility Audit Report shall be duly addressed and the application shall be made “disabled friendly” in all respects, latest within a period of 4 months.

Taking the undertaking on record, the Court clarified that any breach of the undertaking shall be construed as wilful disobedience of the judicial orders.

The matter will now be heard on August 13.

Title: AMAR JAIN AND ANR v. ROPPEN TRANSPORTATION SERVICES PVT LTD (RAPIDO) AND ORS

Click here to read order