CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), on 15th June, submitted its undertaking to the Madras High Court which states that all the metro stations will be made disabled-friendly within six weeks. This decision comes after an audit report was submitted which found deficiencies in providing a barrier free access to passengers with special needs.
The undertaking was given before the Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala when a petition seeking orders to the CMRL to implement relevant sections of Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, according to which it is compulsory for organisations to make transport systems accessible to the disabled.
The counsel that submitted the petition stated that the CMRL had failed to comply with the audit report for providing necessary facilities whereas CMRL informed the bench that they had taken certain measures to provide ramps and other facilities for disabled persons and have now promised to follow the audit report and will the gaps in the services.
According to the petitioner, Vaishnavi Jayakumar, CMRL’s 32 metro stations were lacking facilities for disabled persons such as ramps, lifts, handrails, ticket counters and tactile pathways. These facilities were either absent or non-accessible.
The CMRL had violated section 41 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2016 and Rule 15 of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017. They are under a legal mandate to make sure that all their structures strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Urban Development in 2016, Jayakumar stated.
