An unrelenting fight by Jeeja Ghosh, a teacher with cerebral palsy who was deplaned by a SpiceJet pilot in February 2012 due to her disability, has finally shaken the government out of its stupor.
Responding to her PIL in the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has admitted that its policy on providing equitable and comfortable treatment to persons with disabilities for air travel was deficient and needed an overhaul. The ministry said it will come up with a new set of guidelines for the airport managers and airlines to make certain that persons with disabilities did not face discrimination and have comfortable air travel.
A committee that was set up by the ministry to examine the efficacy of the present system regarding air travel by differently-abled people concluded that the DGCA’s ‘Civil Aviation Requirements’ (CAR) was “inadequate” on several counts and required major improvement.
The study was initiated after an uproar over the incident of forcing Ghosh off the airplane at Kolkata despite issuing her a boarding pass. The committee emphasised the CAR was “inefficient” in fastening the responsibilities among the stakeholders, which included the airlines, and also lacked in implementation of the guidelines to ward off discrimination against the disabled.
“The committee considered it necessary to amend the CAR to ensure that persons with disabilities can have access to and enjoy air travel on an equal basis with others and without discrimination, with dignity and in safe and comfort,” stated the government’s affidavit.
06/04/14 Utkarsh Anand/Indian Express
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Responding to her PIL in the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has admitted that its policy on providing equitable and comfortable treatment to persons with disabilities for air travel was deficient and needed an overhaul. The ministry said it will come up with a new set of guidelines for the airport managers and airlines to make certain that persons with disabilities did not face discrimination and have comfortable air travel.
A committee that was set up by the ministry to examine the efficacy of the present system regarding air travel by differently-abled people concluded that the DGCA’s ‘Civil Aviation Requirements’ (CAR) was “inadequate” on several counts and required major improvement.
The study was initiated after an uproar over the incident of forcing Ghosh off the airplane at Kolkata despite issuing her a boarding pass. The committee emphasised the CAR was “inefficient” in fastening the responsibilities among the stakeholders, which included the airlines, and also lacked in implementation of the guidelines to ward off discrimination against the disabled.
“The committee considered it necessary to amend the CAR to ensure that persons with disabilities can have access to and enjoy air travel on an equal basis with others and without discrimination, with dignity and in safe and comfort,” stated the government’s affidavit.
06/04/14 Utkarsh Anand/Indian Express
