CMRL seeks six weeks permission to provide facilities for differently-abled

The Chennai Metro Rail Limited on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that it will take steps to provide differently-abled friendly facilities and approachable physical structures will be made within six weeks in all the CMRL stations.

The CMRL’s standing counsel made this submission before the first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala. The bench was hearing a plea filed by Vaishnavi Jayakumar, an activist working for the welfare of the physically challenged people.

The petitioner submitted that the CMRL did not provide any facility in a disabled-friendly way and the ramps, and structures in the CMRL rail stations.

“Metro railway stations constructed and being constructed by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) are not in compliance with mandatory accessibility standards under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and Rules – they are neither universally designed nor accessible to people with disabilities, as required by law, ” the petitioner submitted.