Mumbai: HC blasts Central and Western Railways for not being disabled-friendly

The Bombay High Court yesterday blasted the Central and Western Railways for not making its trains and stations disabled friendly.

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The court, while hearing a petition filed by India Center for Human Rights and Law over no basic facilities in the suburban railways for the disabled, criticised the railways for not meeting the December 31, 2015 deadline too in the matter. "In which part of the world do people die due to falling in gaps between platforms and trains. Why do you require a dozen orders to implement such basic things for the disabled," observed the bench of Bombay High Court.

The HC bench comprising Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Prakash Naik heard the case.

The petition has demanded special toilets, grab handles, low-level windows, ramps on foot over bridges, low-level booking windows and water taps.

"Who will take the responsibility of the people who are killed? The court wants you to comply with the orders within the next two months or face contempt notices," Oka warned the railways.

The court also asked railway counsel Suresh Kumar to bring undertakings from the general managers of both CR and WR on next Tuesday saying that they will make all stations disabled-friendly in the next two months.

While Central Railways has been saying it is CIDCO's job in Navi Mumbai, the court lambasted the CR by saying, "Don't you take fare money from people in Navi Mumbai?"