The Madras High Court on Thursday restrained the Tamil Nadu government from purchasing buses for public transport unless they are disabled- friendly. A bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy issued the interim injunction on a batch of cases pending in the court for long, seeking universal use of disabled-friendly buses.
Advocate General R. Shanmughasundaram said that the government is purchasing disabled-friendly buses in phases as the poor condition of the roads would damage low-floor buses. Advocate Rita Chandrashekhar, representing the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Ltd, said that the low-floor buses cost Rs 58 lakh while the regular buses cost Rs 26 lakh and hence, there was a delay in purchasing of buses.
The bench, however, rejected the contentions, saying that the government cannot give any kind of excuses as it was bound to implement the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 and the rules framed thereunder.
Also Watch:
One of the writ petitioners, disability rights advocate Vaishnavi Jaikumar, contended that the February 24 Government Order violates Section 41 of the Act, which requires the government to take suitable measures to provide access to persons with disabilities at bus stops, railway stations, airports to all modes of transport by even retrofitting old modes of transport, wherever it was feasible.
The state government order was for the introduction of only 10 per cent low floor buses and 25 per cent buses fitted with lift mechanism or any other mode to provide easy access to wheelchair-bound passengers out of the total buses to be procured by the transport corporation.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday announced the extension of the lockdown in the state till July 31 with some relaxations.
Among these, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), industrial schools, and typewriting training institutes can function with 50 per cent of students on a rotational basis.
Strict Covid protocols should be adhered to while opening these institutions, it was ordered. Teachers are also allowed to visit schools to carry out work relating to admissions, distribution of textbooks, and administrative works.
Schools, Colleges, theaters, bars, and swimming pools will remain closed. Interstate public and private bus transport will remain closed except for the to and fro service to Puducherry.
Already permitted activities will continue in the state except in containment zones. A maximum of 50 people will be permitted for marriage functions and 20 people at funerals or last rites, the statement from the Chief Minister’s office said.
The CM also appealed to people not come out of their homes unnecessarily and gather in crowds, amid fears about a third wave of the pandemic.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.
Comments
0 comment