‘File audit report on accessibility of services for people with disabilities’

NEW DELHI: 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 has directed Rapido to submit a compliance report and an audit report within three months, following the petitioners’ request. Justice Narula stated that the request is reasonable, requiring Rapido to provide a report from an empanelled Access Auditor with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

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.

Rapido committed to making its services accessible, with training programs and a monitoring mechanism to assess accessibility measures, the company stated. The court set a hearing for December 6, requesting the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to respond to the petition. The petitioners, who rely on the Rapido app, claim it fails to meet the accessibility needs of disabled users, citing an instance where a driver denied a ride due to a disability. The plea highlights the lack of accessibility in cab services and urges the transport ministry to mandate functional and digital accessibility for persons with disabilities.