‘No data on wheelchairs at Mumbai airport’

DGCA had fined AI and Mumbai airport for denying a wheelchair to an elderly passenger. File Pic

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are unaware of the number of wheelchairs available at Mumbai airport, despite wheelchairs being an essential service for the handicapped and elderly.

Recently, the DGCA fined Air India and Mumbai Airport for not providing a wheelchair to an elderly passenger who had to walk a long distance, ultimately leading to his death. A Right To Information (RTI), request and a subsequent first appeal filed by this reporter with the DGCA revealed that both authorities lack this crucial information. "DGCA issues a fine for not arranging a wheelchair but the authority is unaware of the number of wheelchairs at the airport. This is very shameful," said an industry source.

Permission to carry own wheelchair would ease burden on airport staff, say experts. Representation Pic

The RTI

The RTI request filed by this reporter sought information on the number of wheelchairs available at both the domestic and international terminals of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Additionally, the request asked for details on availing of wheelchair services at the airport.

AAI and DGCA reply

AAI western region in its official reply stated, "The requested data is not available with the CPIO and the request has been physically transferred to PIO, Mumbai International Airport Limited, Santacruz." Similarly, in its official reply, the operations department of DGCA Western Region stated, "Such information is not available with CPIO." The request was not even transferred to any other departments of the DGCA who will be in possession of the data.

First appeal and response

The discovery that the operations department of DGCA had not even transferred the RTI request to other departments concerned prompted a first appeal. The reply to this first appeal issued by Deputy Director General D. K. Das, stated, "The information sought is not available in the aerodrome standards directorate."

MIAL not under RTI

A parallel RTI was filed with the Mumbai airport, to which the legal department of MIAL responded that Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), is a private entity and does not fall under the jurisdiction of RTI.

Expert speak

Nilesh Singit, a researcher and expert in accessibility and disability law, in a conversation with mid-day said, "Firstly, I feel that there is a dire need of a centralised system for accountability of wheelchairs as the government bodies involved should have a proper account of the number of wheelchairs, which will help out the passengers with disabilities to avail the services."

"Passengers with disabilities should be allowed to travel with their own wheelchairs. This would reduce the demand on airport wheelchairs. They should be able to use their wheelchair up to their seat, after which it would be stored in the cargo and made available at the destination. This allows companions to assist, freeing airport staff to focus on those who have booked wheelchair services," he added.

Another disability expert on the condition of anonymity said, "There is no fixed ratio of the number of wheelchairs to the number of hourly passenger load, as far as I am aware. This ratio should be established so that there is no case of disabled passengers not getting a wheelchair assigned to them at the airport. This number should be derived by calculating the average number of disabled passengers on an aircraft and the average hourly number of flights operating on that airport."

Feb 12
The day an 80-year-old died due to unavailability of wheelchair at Mumbai airport

Rs 30L
The fine DGCA imposed on AI for for ‘not having adequate wheelchairs'