Former disability commissioner Diethono Nakhro urges Nagaland government to ensure new NST buses fully comply with accessibility standards
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DIMAPUR — Former State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Diethono Nakhro has urged Nagaland government to ensure that all 43 buses being procured for the Nagaland State Transport (NST) are fully accessible and compliant with disability rights laws and national accessibility standards.
In a representation addressed to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Nakhro described the ongoing NST fleet expansion as a “historic opportunity” to build an inclusive public transport system in the state.
The representation comes in the wake of the government’s recently announced Memorandum of Agreement with Tata Motors Limited for procurement of 43 buses for NST.
While welcoming the initiative, Nakhro stated that accessibility in public transport was “not a matter of welfare or convenience, but a legal obligation and a fundamental requirement for ensuring equal participation and independent mobility for persons with disabilities, elderly persons, and others with mobility challenges.”
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Citing the Supreme Court judgement in Rajive Raturi vs Union of India delivered in December 2017, she noted that the court had held that Section 41 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016 mandates comprehensive accessibility in all modes of transport, including buses, and that it was the duty of governments to ensure all government buses are disability-friendly in accordance with the Harmonised Guidelines.
The representation also referred to a February 5, 2019 notification issued by the Nagaland Transport department under Section 41 of the RPwD Act, which directed that all public transport vehicles conform to accessibility standards. The notification further stated that no new public transport vehicle should be registered unless it met minimum accessibility standards for persons with disabilities.
Nakhro further pointed to the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021, which prescribe accessibility features for buses, including low-floor designs, ramps or hydraulic lifts, wheelchair spaces, handrails, accessible buzzers with Braille markings, and visual route display systems.
She also stated that in suo motu proceedings before the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities court in 2024, the Transport department had been directed to implement the Harmonised Guidelines 2021 in all newly procured buses.
Addressing concerns often raised regarding Nagaland’s terrain, Nakhro acknowledged the challenges posed by hilly roads and landslides but argued that difficult geography “cannot become a justification for exclusion or denial of the right to accessible public transport.”
“While these geographical challenges are indeed real, the burden of finding solutions cannot be placed upon persons with disabilities,” the representation stated, adding that the government must explore alternative accessibility solutions wherever standard low-floor buses may not be feasible.
Among the demands raised were ensuring that all 43 buses comply with the RPwD Act 2016 and Harmonised Guidelines 2021; incorporating ramps, lifts and wheelchair spaces; installing accessible visual and tactile information systems; consulting persons with disabilities and accessibility experts before finalisation of the buses; and establishing a mechanism to certify accessibility compliance before the buses are inducted into service.