The Delhi High Court has asked bike-taxi aggregator Rapido to file an audit report on the accessibility of its services for persons with disabilities within three months. Justice Sanjeev Narula, while hearing a petition by disability rights activist Amar Jain and visually-impaired banker Dipto Ghosh Chaudhary, said the audit will be done by an “Access Auditor” empanelled with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
In its reply, Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd, which owns Rapido, assured that it was taking various accessibility measures in terms of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and that it was committed to ensuring their continuous effectiveness and improvement.
The court directed Rapido to also submit a compliance report after the counsel for the petitioners said it must be ensured that the aggregator abides by its commitments.
“In the opinion of the court, petitioners’ request (for a compliance report and an audit) is reasonable and justified. Accordingly, it is directed that Respondent No. 1 (Rapido) shall within three months from today submit a compliance report along with an audit report from an empanelled Access Auditor with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,” Justice Narula said in the order dated August 28.
Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd said it was “actively working” on making its mobile application “fully accessible” to individuals with disabilities and being a startup, the update was expected to take approximately six to eight months to complete.
The court was further told that the company was in the process of implementing comprehensive training programmes for its captains and staff to ensure that they provide rides to individuals with disabilities in a supportive and accommodating manner.
“The training programmes are designed to equip the captains and staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to cater to the diverse requirements of disabled individuals, thereby fostering an environment of inclusivity and compliance with the statutory obligations under the RPWD Act.
“Respondent No. 1 (Rapido) is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible, and these training programmes are a crucial step towards achieving that goal,” the company said.
Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd further stated that it would establish a robust and continuous monitoring and feedback mechanism for assessing the implementation and efficacy of the accessibility measures adopted by it.
The court listed the matter for hearing on December 6 and also asked the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to file its response to the petition.
The petitioners had approached the high court last year seeking directions to Rapido to conduct an immediate accessibility audit, resolve accessibility barriers in a timely manner and ensure comprehensive and holistic end-to-end accessibility.
On November 9, the court had issued a notice to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd asking them to file their replies to the petition.
The petition has said that the petitioners rely on the Rapido mobile ride application but it failed to cater to the accessibility needs of disabled individuals.
“Petitioner no. 2 (Ghosh) was denied a ride by a captain (driver) when he learnt that he had a disability and such experiences undermine the dignity of persons with disabilities,” the plea has asserted.
It said the issue is not limited to this app but even other cab aggregators do not have a system in place to accommodate persons with disabilities.
The petition, filed through advocates Rahul Bajaj and Mahoor Ghani, has said the transport ministry has failed to put in place an appropriate mandate to ensure that all cab aggregators ensure functional and digital accessibility of their services for persons with disabilities.
The matter also underscores the importance of equal access to digital services for persons with disabilities, highlighting the need for businesses and service providers to prioritise inclusivity and comply with legal mandates aimed at fostering accessibility, the plea has stated.
