Disabled-friendly bus okay: judges
Special Correspondent
MTC told to ply it on an experimental basis
GIVING THE NOD: Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Social Welfare Minister Poongothai,
inspecting the specially-designed bus on the court premises on Friday. .
Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
CHENNAI : A specially designed bus, complete with disabled-friendly facilities,
passed muster on Friday, when the judges of the Madras High Court inspected
it and expressed their satisfaction at the arrangement.
When the Metropolitan Transport Corporation authorities brought the bus to the
High Court campus and demonstrated the operation of hydraulic platform fitted
in the vehicle, Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice K. Chandru suggested minor
modifications and asked the MTC administration to ply the vehicle on an
experimental basis.
On June 12, 2005 the First Bench had restrained the MTC from inducting any new
buses that did not have disabled-friendly arrangement. In April this year,
the Bench rejected a model suggested by the authorities, on the ground that the
escalating platform was too slow.
On Friday, a modified version was presented before the judges on the court
premises. They asked Rajiv Ranjan, who had filed the public interest litigation
petition, and another disabled person, Meenakshi, to try out the new amenity.
While Mr. Ranjan said the model was "much better" than the earlier version,
Ms. Meenakshi said the metal surface could be replaced with a wooden surface.
The judges, as also Social Welfare Minister Poongothai, asked the MTC
authorities to permit the beneficiaries as well as their counsel to visit the
MTC
workshop to ensure that the necessary modifications were carried out.
In his petition, Mr. Ranjan had said that as per Section 44 of the Persons with
Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation)
Act, 1995, government agencies must ensure non-discrimination in transport
system by designing rail compartments, buses, vessels, aircraft, toilets and
waiting rooms in such a way as to permit an easy and convenient access to
disabled persons and wheelchair-users.
The MTC had failed to give effect to the mandatory provisions, he said. The
matter was then adjourned by 10 days.
Source: "The Hindu", dated: 02-12-2006
With regards,
Gopalakrishnan
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