Delhi HC seeks Rapido’s stand on plea over accessibility barriers for differently-abled

PTI, Feb 8, 2024, 4:40 PM IST

The Delhi High Court has sought the stand of bike-taxi aggregator Rapido on a plea moved by two differently-abled persons highlighting the issue of ”accessibility barriers” on the platform’s mobile app.

Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice on an application filed by disability rights activist Amar Jain and visually-impaired banker Dipto Ghosh Chaudhary, who have said in spite of six updates on the app, not a single issue flagged by them has been resolved, which shows Rapido’s ”casual and insensitive attitude”.

The application forms part of a petition moved by Jain and Ghosh Chaudhary seeking directions to make app-based cab aggregators fully accessible to differently-abled persons.

”Issue notice. Reply, if any, be filed before the next date of hearing,” the judge said in a recent order on the application.

In the application, the petitioners have sought directions to Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, which owns Rapido, to address the ”critical barriers” that prevent them from travelling from their offices to their residences on a daily basis.

These include visually-impaired users being unable to independently cancel a ride, track the location of the driver and being unable to message the driver from the app, the order recorded.

”Ever since notice has been issued in the writ petition by this honourable court, it has been observed by the petitioners that there have been multiple updates of the mobile application — both in the iOS and the Android versions,” the application said.

”However, despite as many as six updates having taken place, not a single issue flagged by the petitioners has as yet been resolved, thus pointing to respondent no.1’s casual and insensitive attitude,” it added.

The petitioners had approached the high court last year and sought 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 issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and Roppen Transportation Services, and asked them to file their replies to the petition.

The main petition says the petitioners rely on the Rapido mobile ride application, but it has failed to cater to the accessibility needs of differently-abled individuals.

”Petitioner no. 2 (Ghosh Chaudhary) 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 says.

It says the issue is not limited to this app but even other cab aggregators do not have a system in place to accommodate differently-abled persons.

The petition, filed through advocates Rahul Bajaj and Mahoor Ghani, says 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 differently-abled persons.

The matter also underscores the importance of equal access to digital services for differently-abled persons, highlighting the need for businesses and service providers to prioritise inclusivity and comply with the legal mandates aimed at fostering accessibility, it has said.

The matter would be heard next in April.