Metro Rail stations not disabled-friendly, says plea

When the plea came up for hearing, a division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha directed CMRL to submit its explanation within four weeks.

The petitioner, Vaishnavi Jayakumar, a disability rights activist, submitted that the none of the stations were in tune with the Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier-Free Built Environment for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly Persons issued by the Ministry of Urban Development in 2016.

Pointing out that the guidelines represented a minimum standard that was to be achieved to ensure a barrier-free environment, the petitioner submitted that considering the importance that was being given to Metro Rail transportation in city’s planning, CMRL should evolve a Metro Rail specific guidelines for ensuring a barrier-free environment that was comprehensive and designed towards ensuring the best possible infrastructure to aid the differently abled.

Also, pointing out that the violation by CMRL should to have been punished and the Commissioner should have taken action to ensure proper implementation of the law, the plea claimed that the failure of both the agencies to act in accordance with the law has resulted in grave prejudice to persons with disability. Metro Stations were audited and found non-compliant in 2017 itself. However, till date, no steps have been taken to bring the stations and other infrastructure in compliance with the law, the plea added.