The Hindu : Study to provide suitable vehicles to disabled

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 23, 2003

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Study to provide suitable vehicles to disabled

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JUNE 22. A feedback study of beneficiaries of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation's Motorised Tri-wheeler Programme was undertaken here recently to gauge whether they were satisfied with the MTWs they have received in the past three years. The study was also initiated in view of the fact that in the year 2000, Kinetic Honda was given to the beneficiaries and therefore a comparative analysis of the suitability of both models was necessitated.

The MTW programme was initiated in the year 1992 and every year, 30 beneficiaries from across the country are chosen. And over the years, it has been found to be suitable for the self-employed persons and those residing in rural areas to carry material. The feedback has highlighted that the parts used in an MTW are not easily available in remote areas and it is difficult for the beneficiaries to get the vehicle repaired.

The Kinetic Honda scooter has good quality parts which are easily available and which seldom require repair thereby reducing the maintenance manifold. In addition, the responses highlighted that Kinetic Honda was suitable for the urban-based students, employed persons and women. It is compact, easy to drive and can be made more suitable to the needs of the disabled by making provision for back support to the driver, provision to start the vehicle with hand-pulled driver lever in case the self-starter was faulty, provision of a side box to carry some material and provision of hooks at the side to hang the crutches of the beneficiaries.

Therefore, this year, an order for 30 Kinetic Honda scooters with two-wheel attachment has been placed and the Disabled Persons Welfare sub-committee which met here recently has short-listed 30 candidates from among hundreds of applications received from across the country. The 30 beneficiaries will receive the kinetic Hondas on Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary on August 20.

The sub-committee suggested that the feedback obtained from the beneficiaries of the previous three years needs to be further analysed with a view to finding out the impact of the vehicle on their lives in economic terms. In addition, the feedback pro forma to be sent out this year will be further modified to obtain specific information regarding the economic profile of the beneficiaries and the impact of the vehicle on their lives.

A discussion on the suitability of both the models to the physically challenged persons was also undertaken. Another model, Bajaj Scooter with a side-cart, was also considered. The sub-committee suggested that different models of vehicles available need to be explored to ascertain their suitability to the needs of the severely disabled people. It was also suggested that from next year onwards, the candidates would be asked to choose the model of the vehicle out of the given options.

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