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The HC granted a “last opportunity” to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to submit an affidavit regarding the same within four weeks
The HC also warned that if the ministry fails to comply, MoRTH joint secretary will be called before bench during the next hearing on August 13
The Delhi HC was hearing a petition filed by activists against Rapido over alleged inaccessibility of the ride-hailing app for persons with disability
The Delhi High Court (HC) has reportedly directed the Centre to apprise it about the regulatory mechanism for ensuring that ride hailing apps are specially abled-friendly before they are launched.
A PTI report said that the HC granted a “last opportunity” to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to submit an affidavit regarding the same within four weeks.
The order by Justice Sachin Datta further mentioned that if the ministry fails to comply, the joint secretary of the said ministry will have to personally appear before the bench during the next hearing scheduled on August 13.
The development comes just two days after the High Court asked the MoRTH joint secretary and other senior officials for an explanation on the above matter.
How Did It All Begin? In September last year, accessibility activist Amar Jain and visually impaired banker Dipto Ghosh Choudhary filed a writ petition against the ride hailing unicorn Rapido, raising concerns over inaccessibility of the platform for persons with disability (PwD).
The petitioners alleged that the Rapido
app fails to cater to the needs of disabled individuals, adding that certain features of the platform renders accessibility software, for screen reading, “significantly unusable” by specially-abled persons.
Previously, Rapido had conceded accessibility issues on its app and had promised that it would update its app to comply with accessibility standards under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
At the time the court had also directed the startup to submit an audit report conducted by an access auditor empaneled with the department of empowerment of PwD under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
Responding to the petition, the startup said that it will ensure to comply with all the norms to make it disabled-friendly.
What Happened Next? As the startup furnished the access report to the bench, it was found that its platform showed 81 major failures with regards to accessibility for specially-abled persons. Besides, it also showed 170 accessibility errors. Following which, the court asked the startup to ensure adequate accessibility of its app for specially-abled individuals.
The Rights Of Person With Disabilities Act, 2016: As per the said act, all government and private entities are required to provide services complying to the accessibility rules and standards set by the central government.
Founded in 2015 by Rishikesh SR, Pavan Guntupalli, and Aravind Sanka, offers bike taxi and cab services. It also offers peer-to-peer delivery services under Rapido Local. In August 2024, the ride-haling giant entered the unicorn club after raising $120 Mn from existing investor WestBridge Capital.
On the financial front, Rapido’s net loss widened over 50% to INR 674.5 Cr in the financial year 2022-23 (FY23) from INR 439 Cr in the previous fiscal year. Meanwhile, operating revenue soared to INR 443 Cr in the fiscal under review from INR 144.8 Cr in FY22.
