Decide in one month plea to recognise transgender as third gender for bus travel: Delhi HC to Delhi govt.

The Delhi High Court has asked to the city government authorities to decide a representation to legally recognise transgender community as the third gender in bus tickets issued by the DTC

The Delhi High Court has granted one month's time to the city government authorities to decide a representation to legally recognise transgender community as the third gender in bus tickets issued by the DTC.

In case of non-compliance, the managing director of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) shall remain present before it on August 18, the court ordered.

The court's order came on a contempt petition filed for "wilful non-compliance" of an October 2022 order of a division bench, which had granted four months to the authorities to take a view on the representation.

The order of the division bench had come on a public interest litigation by a person belonging to the transgender community, who sought legal recognition of the community as the third gender in bus tickets and provide free travel for them in DTC buses.

Women travelling in DTC buses are issued pink tickets that allow them to travel for free.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora observed that the inaction for more than six months was "certainly protracted" but granted "one last opportunity" to the state authorities to comply with the earlier directions.

"The direction issued by the division bench through GNCTD is limited to taking a decision on the representation of the petitioner and therefore, the respondent’s inaction and non-consideration of the said representation for more than six months is certainly protracted," the court said in a recent order.