[dZired]

Thank you to Team-BHP fan Suyash Kumar Agarwal for bringing this to our knowledge!

There is no hiding the fact that a major chunk of India's public transport is inaccessible for people with disabilities. Many differently-abled people aren't comfortable in entering conventional cars either, which eliminates regular taxi service providers from their list of options. This is where Bangalore-based KickStart cabs comes in. KickStart is aimed at providing a hassle-free transportation option for people with disabilities. It also provides an easier commuting solution for elderly people who have problems in getting in and out of a regular car. The start-up is backed by the Mphasis Foundation. The service is currently operational only in Bangalore.

The KickStart fleet includes specially-designed vehicles that have been customised to aid ingress and egress. Some of their cars have a ramp that unfolds from the boot to help users on wheelchairs board the vehicle with ease. Once in, the wheelchair can be securely strapped in using specially designed belts. There are also taxis with turn-out wheelchair. In such a model, the front passenger seat can be moved out of the passenger's door. This can be used for people who have knee issues and are unable to board a regular vehicle. Moreover, the front seat can be attached to a wheelchair frame to convert the car's passenger seat into a regular wheelchair.

KickStart cabs can be booked either through a phone call on 8105600445 and 8032327777, or through an online booking form on the company's website. A two-hour trip for a distance of 20 km is priced at Rs. 800. Every extra kilometre is charged at Rs. 20/km, while an extra hour added to the said 2-hour limit is priced at Rs. 200. The company is also offering dedicated packages for office pickup and drop, airport and railway station transfers and outstation trips.

KickStart has been co-founded by Vidhya Ramasubban, who has worked in the disability sector, and Srikrish Siva, an alumnus of BITS Pilani and a former management consultant. The service was being run as a pilot project since 2013 and has started official operations earlier this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok6m...ature=youtu.be

[V.Narayan]

My best wishes to this start up for success and growth. In our country we ignore the differently abled so that they are out of sight and out of mind. Ask me - my wife and I are guardians for one such adult. In fact India has the largest actual numbers of differently abled people in the world - 26.8 million as per the 2011 census. That is more than the entire population of Australia (23 million in 2015). In fact if the differently abled of India were to be a nation unto themselves they would make it the top 50 countries by population.

The way we ignore the differently abled is best reflected in the recent Rio Para Olympics held immediately after the regular Olympics. Not a single journalist from a single print, radio or TV media company from India was present to cover the event despite the fact that we sent our largest contingent ever this time and they did the country proud.

[Rehaan]

Spotted this the other day in Mumbai. 'Ezymov'