Delhi High Court seeks Central government's response on plea to make app based cab aggregators disabled friendly

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Central government on a plea seeking directions to make app based cab aggregators friendly and accessible for disabled people..Justice Subramonium Prasad also issued notice to Rapido and sought its response.The matter will be heard next on December 20, 2024..The Court was hearing a plea filed by disability rights activist Amar Jain and a visually impaired banker Dipto Ghosh Chaudhary through advocates Rahul Bajaj and Mahoor Ghani. It was stated that the petitioners rely on Rapido mobile ride application but the app fails to cater to the accessibility needs of disabled individuals.The Court was told that the difficulty is not limited only to Rapido app but even other cab aggregators do not have a system in place to accommodate persons with disabilities.The plea contended that Ghosh was denied a ride by a Rapido captain (driver) when he learned about his disability and such experiences undermine the dignity of a person with disability.“This issue brings to light the violation of Section 40 and 46 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, as well as Rule 15 of the RPwD Rules, 2017. According to the RPwD Act 2016, all service providers, both public and private, are legally obliged to ensure that their digital platforms are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities,” the plea stated.It added,“The case also brings to light the failure of Respondent No. 2 (Central government) to put in place an 7 appropriate mandate to ensure that all cab aggregators ensure functional and digital accessibility of their offerings for persons with disabilities”The petitioner stressed that it amounts to a direct violation of Section 41(1)(b) of RPwD Act which states that the government shall take suitable measures to provide access to all modes of transport..Therefore, the petitioners sought directions to the Central government to put in place strong legal mandate and operational guidance on all app-based aggregators to ensure that their digital offering and functional processes are disabled friendly.The petition also sought directions for imposition of fine on the Rapido for its failure to make its app accessible to persons with disabilities.