CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered a notice to the Indian Railways and the Southern Railway to file a reply to a PIL seeking modification of railway stations and trains in order to provide better access to persons with disabilities. The petition was filed by activist Vaishnavi Jayakumar.
She stated in her petition that railway stations and the compartments and coaches of trains are not barrier-free and universally accessible as mandated under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and the 2017 Rules. Several representations have been sent to authorities but no action has been taken till date, she noted.
She further added that the time limit for making existing infrastructure accessible is five years from the date of notification of The Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017, as per Section 45 and a two-year time is set as per Section 46. The petition stated that simple measures such as the construction of a ramp with a gentle slope for foot over bridges and other areas, bilateral-transfer-enabled peninsular toilets, wheelchair-accessible buggies/shuttles and ticket counters at dual heights would help in making railway stations universally accessible and barrier-free.