The Delhi High Court has sought a response from the Union Government regarding the regulatory framework ensuring that taxi applications are accessible to disabled individuals before their launch. The directive came during a hearing on a plea highlighting significant accessibility issues in the Rapido app.
Justice Sachin Datta directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to file an affidavit detailing the regulatory mechanism in place for applications like Rapido. The court emphasized that these apps must comply with accessibility norms as per Rule 15 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017.
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“The respondent no.2/Ministry of Road Transport And Highways is directed to file an affidavit to place on record the regulatory mechanism that is in place to ensure that the application/s, such as the one introduced by the respondent no.1, comply with the necessary requirements for being disabled-friendly prior to their launch, and have all requisite accessibility features as mandated under the law," the court stated.
The case was brought before the court by disability rights activist Amar Jain and visually impaired banker Dipto Ghosh Chaudhary. Their plea urged Roppen Transportation Services, the company behind Rapido, to conduct an accessibility audit and address accessibility barriers promptly.
The court reviewed the Accessibility Audit Report of Rapido, which revealed an alarming number of 207 accessibility issues. Among them, 81 were classified as “High Impact (P0),” indicating severe usability concerns.
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Advocate’s Plea for Strict Action
Advocate Rahul Bajaj, representing the petitioners, urged the court to impose penalties under Section 89 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, for non-compliance.
“The application is far from being ‘disabled-friendly.’ Given the severe accessibility concerns, strict action should be taken against Rapido, including financial penalties,” Bajaj argued.
Rapido’s Assurance to Address Issues
In response, the counsel for Rapido assured the court that all identified accessibility issues would be addressed within four months. The company committed to making the app fully accessible.
“The accessibility issues referred to in the Accessibility Audit Report shall be duly addressed, and the application shall be made ‘disabled-friendly’ in all respects within a period of four months,” Rapido’s counsel assured.
Court’s Warning Against Non-Compliance
Taking Rapido’s undertaking on record, the court warned that any breach of this commitment would be considered willful disobedience of judicial orders.
“Any breach of the undertaking shall be construed as willful disobedience of the orders of this Court,” Justice Datta stated.
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Centre Given Last Opportunity to File Affidavit
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was granted a final opportunity to submit an affidavit on the regulatory mechanism. Failure to do so within four weeks would require the concerned Joint Secretary to appear in court personally.
The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for August 13, 2025, where further compliance will be reviewed.
Title: AMAR JAIN AND ANR v. ROPPEN TRANSPORTATION SERVICES PVT LTD (RAPIDO) AND ORS
