Supreme Court: "Wheelchair Boarding Facilities Required on Bus Routes Likely to Be Used by People with Disabilities"

Final Resolution After 12 Years of Discrimination Relief Lawsuit

Focus on Ensuring Practical Guarantee of Mobility Rights

The Supreme Court has made a final and conclusive ruling that buses on routes likely to be used by people with disabilities must be equipped with wheelchair boarding facilities as a mandatory requirement.

According to the legal community on April 17, the Supreme Court's First Division (Presiding Justice Seo Kyung-hwan) confirmed the previous day's appellate court verdict, which partially ruled in favor of three disabled plaintiffs surnamed Kim and others, in their retrial discrimination relief lawsuit against two bus companies. This marks a conclusion to a legal battle that began in 2014, after 12 years.

The court recognized the lack of boarding facilities as "discrimination" under the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities. However, considering the business circumstances of the bus companies, the court limited the scope of the installation obligation not to all routes, but specifically to those routes where the plaintiffs are realistically likely to board.

As a result, boarding facilities are expected to be prioritized on certain intercity bus routes designated by the court in the remand trial.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.