In developed countries, the going is a little easier for the physically challenged or those who need assistance. There, public transport, like buses, has ramps or steps that level with the kerb to allow easy entry and exit. But India is slowly catching up.
Wheelchair users, the differently-abled and senior citizens unable to venture anywhere on their own no longer have to depend on relatives or friends to accompany them if they need to go anywhere. Cab services with trained drivers are just a call away. They pick up the passenger from home and assist them to reach their destination. They also offer travel packages to pan-India destinations, like religious tours or tourist destinations.
Regular cars are modified to allow the passenger seat to turn 45 degrees to enable ease of seating; the same seat can be slid onto a frame that turns it into a wheelchair. Seats may be removed from the back of the van and a mechanical hydraulic ramp can be attached to allow a wheelchair to slide in and out. The hearing-impaired can manage a booking through text messages.
Kickstartcabs was started by Vidhya Ramasubban and Srikrish Siva in Bengaluru in early 2016, after running a pilot project for three years to establish viability of the project. There are millions of disabled in India and they felt, barrier free access to public facilities was a rising cause for concern. The two got together to do something exciting and meaningful with their lives. Having worked extensively with The Spastics Society of India, Vidhya is acutely aware of the problems the disabled face. To date, their cabs have served 450 unique customers with their fleet of 10 vehicles. Says Srikrish, “Today, on an average, we manage 35 trips daily.” The majority of their staff belongs to the lower socio-economic background and includes transgenders. This is heartening news indeed. This is the one section of society that needs to better its lot and be part of the mainstream in our cities. This phenomenon is catching on. In Kerala too, the Kochi Metro project has employed transgenders for ticketing and maintenance.
In Mumbai, their counterpart is EzyMov, established in 2015. Founded by Rrajesh Patel, Romeo Ravva and Bennet D’Cunha, the company at present has 20 vehicles for rental, each of which makes 10 trips per day. Apart from ferrying senior citizens and the physically challenged to various destinations in the city and anywhere ‘from Kashmir to Kanyakumari’, they also ply a mobile clinic in collaboration with Fortis Hospital. Routine check-ups are carried out in the comfort of the senior citizen’s home. However, this is still at an experimental stage.
These services of course come at a price. The trip rates are on par with those charged by fleet cabs. Both service providers reiterate that their drivers/staff are courteous, look after the passengers and are trained in basic first-aid. Srikrish explains, “Our aim is to help, but please remember that the vehicles have to be modified and there are few in India who do this to suit our needs. Again, while a normal minivan can seat 14, we can only accommodate 6 wheelchairs. The project has to be viable.”
Both companies have expansion plans in the pipeline. While EzyMov will make its services available in Delhi, Goa and Pune in the next 6 months, Kickstartcabs is looking at Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and even smaller towns like Nasik. At present they are basically trying to generate interest among people to partner their project. Hopefully, these services may be on call very soon for the needy anywhere in India.
Comments (0)