Madras High Court Grants CMRL Extension for Access Audit Submission

On June 5, 2024, the Madras High Court granted Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) an additional two weeks to submit the second access audit report for 32 metro stations built under Phase I. The court also mandated that CMRL make station layout maps publicly accessible to aid passengers with disabilities.

This decision stems from a petition by disability rights activist Vaishanavi Jayakumar, highlighting non-compliance with universal accessibility standards. Despite CMRL’s claims of rectifying 85% of issues from the first audit, the petitioner disputed this, prompting the court’s directive for a second audit. The court emphasized the need for disabled-friendly infrastructure from the construction stage to avoid costly retrofitting.