DISABLED RIDERS WIN INJUNCTION.Byline: Douglas Haberman Daily News Staff Writer A federal judge has issued a temporary ruling that equipment serving disabled passengers on MTA (1) (Message Transfer Agent or Mail Transfer Agent) The store and forward part of a messaging system. See messaging system. (2) See M Technology Association. 1. (messaging) MTA - Message Transfer Agent. buses must be kept in good working order by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the American Civil Liberties Union American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), nonpartisan organization devoted to the preservation and extension of the basic rights set forth in the U.S. Constitution. of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, announced Monday. U.S. District Court Judge Consuelo Marshall's Sept. 22 preliminary injunction A temporary order made by a court at the request of one party that prevents the other party from pursuing a particular course of conduct until the conclusion of a trial on the merits. A preliminary injunction is regarded as extraordinary relief. ordered the MTA to repair promptly all wheelchair lifts, safety straps and other equipment for the disabled as well as radios that could be used by drivers to report broken equipment. A January lawsuit filed by the ACLU ACLU: see American Civil Liberties Union. , certified in August as a class action on behalf of all disabled riders, charged that the lifts are broken 60 percent of the time. When the lifts are broken, drivers often pass up disabled people at bus stops, the suit claimed. The judge's order requires drivers of buses with broken equipment to stop and inform disabled riders of a problem and report it immediately by radio. The suit also claimed the MTA has endangered en·dan·ger tr.v. en·dan·gered, en·dan·ger·ing, en·dan·gers 1. To expose to harm or danger; imperil. 2. To threaten with extinction. riders in wheelchairs by failing to keep its safety equipment in working order or to use this equipment properly. Peter Eliasberg, the attorney handling the case for the ACLU, said the judge's ruling indicated that the plaintiffs have a high likelihood of winning on their claims of discrimination. Eliasberg said he hopes the MTA will consider negotiating a settlement. ``We are making progress in improving the reliability of our lifts,'' MTA spokesman Marc Littman said. But agency officials hadn't seen the judge's ruling late Monday afternoon, so they were unable to comment further. |
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