The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Directions to airlines to ensure barrier-free environment for disabled

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Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Directions to airlines to ensure barrier-free environment for disabled

Special Correspondent

High Court orders notice to Air Sahara

Matter adjourned for three weeks
Civil Aviation Requirement to be amended

CHENNAI: The Centre is planning to issue necessary directions to all airlines in the country to ensure a barrier-free environment for disabled passengers in airport as well as aircraft, the Madras High Court was informed on Wednesday.

Responding to a public interest litigation petition filed by L.K. Venkat, who highlighted an incident wherein a physically disabled person, Rajiv Rajan, was not allowed to board an Air Sahara plane, the Centre said: “Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on the subject ‘carriage by air of stretcher-borne passengers’ already exists. This CAR is being suitably amended in consonance with the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities Act) and necessary directions are contemplated to be issued to all the airliners.”

When Assistant Solicitor-General P. Wilson submitted the counter and the amended CAR before a Division Bench, comprising Justice Prafulla Kumar Misra and Justice K. Chandru, the Judges sought to know as to what was the airlines’ explanation for the incident highlighted in the petition.

They then ordered notice to Air Sahara, and adjourned the matter for three weeks.

The counter, filed by the Director of Airworthiness at Chennai Airport, K.S. Balasubramanian, said the Person with Disability Act 1995 was being implemented in the civil aviation sector and there was no discrimination against any disabled person. Both airport and aircraft had suitably been designed to ensure that the disabled persons had easy access to toilets and other amenities, it said.

He said the alleged incident, involving Rajiv Rajan, was not brought to the knowledge of the authorities.

The amended CAR, defining the physically challenged passengers, said all operators engaged in scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services for carriage of passengers should comply with the requirements. No airline should refuse to carry physically challenged or incapacitated persons or persons with disabilities if they did not pose a threat to the safety of other passengers, their property, aircraft or the crew, it said.

The airlines must conspicuously display a placard informing the passengers as to where passengers with disabilities could contact for special assistance.

Programme for staff

The airlines should run programme for their staff for every three years and they should be entrusted with the responsibility of assisting the disabled persons.

Among other facilities, the amended CAR stated that except in specific instances no medical clearance or special forms should be required for such physically disabled or incapacitated passengers, who only required special assistance for embarking/disembarking.

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