Fwd: Inputs for the CAR Guidelines

[Vaishnavi Jayakumar]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Vaishnavi Jayakumar <jayakumar...@gmail.com>

Hi Arman,

First off, thanks for the persistence in pinning the minister down.

Wrt what minister has proposed, we have already given inputs, what is missing is :

1) action by Govt, aviation companies (including foreign operating in India) and airport agencies 

2) sector representatives for joint negotiation meeting and future policy matters and evaluation - could be as part of Air Passengers Association of India.

Following is required : 

A) CAR Implementation report is required from airports, airlines and GHA on 

1. Number of owned wheelchairs, 

2. wheelchair handlers and doctors per shift, 

3. meet and assist staff per shift,

4. aisle chairs,  transfer boards, cabin chairs, 

5. number of aerobridges and utilisation 

6. Number of ambulifts, 

7. Number of portable ramp-bridge, 

8. Number of ETD per special security line

9. Multimodal SSR based wheelchair and other assistance requests, 

10. assistive aid cargo tags and case

11. Protocol for gate checked device cargo location and retrieval, 

12. Protocol for power wheelchair cargo by battery type

13. Assistive aid dismantling 

14. Protocol for assistive aid damages / loss 

15. Check in,  boarding and disembarking protocol by disability type.

16. Privacy / Quiet rooms for security screening and also for wheelchair transfer near aircraft.

17. FREMEC / INCAD cards issued. 

18. Kerbside kiosk assistance at drop off zones.

19. Emergency wheelchair availability at gates and drop off zone

20. QR coded security infographic at security area linking to Air Sewa section on disabled passengers / PRM.

B) Security Rules - Roll back of discriminatory CAR fit-to-fly revision, security hazard reference, as well as recent BCAS revision which has gone back to prosthetic removal etc. Introduction of notification card and communication charts.

C) Anonymised, disaggregated data  reports - disability related grievances raised via Air Sewa, airports and other channels. Wheelchair passengers per flight per airline by type WCHR vs WCHS vs WCHC.

Additionally, number of times aerobridge has been free but airlines have neither used aerobridge not ambulift despite wheelchair request. 

D) Copies of manuals and exam syllabus inclusion on disability sensitisation, law, assistance, communication and diversity training for pilots, cabin staff,  ground handling, security, customer care, meet and assist, airport staff.

E) Airport renovation and infrastructure tendering template (including aircraft) to ensure procurement accessibility. This should include changing rooms standard toilet, layout map, notification / announcement app / Bluetooth beacon wayfinding in addition to Harmonised Guidelines provisions.

F) End to end process on provisions for disabled people by type

Once we have this info, a multi stakeholder meet can happen for negotiating now and in future.

Vaishnavi

On Thu, 8 Sep, 2022, 14:56 , <arma...@ncpedp.org> wrote:

Dear All,

 

Trust this email finds you well.

 

After trying for months, today we were able to get an audience with the Hon’ble Minister. He mentioned that as of now, very specific demands related to the following needs to be submitted:

1. Offloading of passengers with disabilities
2. Discriminatory circular of the BCAS which considers people with disabilities as security risks
3. Wheelchair usage
4. Ambulifts
5. Kiosk

 

He was very persistent in stating that the document should include what we want vis-à-vis the gaps and best international practices.

 

With regards to the above mentioned points, we have initiated the work and would require everyone’s inputs on the same.

 

Please suggest how should be take this forward.

 

Regards,

Arman.