Goa’s KTC, social welfare dept to respond to blind man’s accessibility PIL

The Bombay High Court has sought responses from Goa’s Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC), the department of social welfare and other authorities on a public interest litigation seeking accessibility improvements for persons with disabilities across the state’s public bus network.

A division bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Hiten Venegavkar, hearing the matter on Wednesday, said it is considering widening the scope of the PIL to examine standards reflected in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and the Motor Vehicles Act, along with the state government’s and corporations’ policy toward persons with disabilities.

The petition was filed by 32-year-old Harish Parab, represented by Chirag Angle under legal aid, after he was mistakenly dropped at the Goa Medical College bus stop instead of Goa University because the audible announcement system on his electric Kadamba bus was disabled. He is seeking audible announcements in all KTC buses and bus stands, and wheelchair ramps on buses.

Parab’s petition also seeks specifically numbered seats reserved for persons with disabilities rather than arbitrary reservations, and concessional KTC fares for persons with benchmark disabilities even outside Goa.

He has further asked the court to direct the formation of an independent authority to implement infrastructural measures for persons with disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.