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Joyride for specially-abled
Their dream is to fly without wings. All thanks to this aid, they now can at least ply. These special kids can now pack their picnic bags and head out like their peers, writes Rajesh Ahuja.
Their dream is to fly without wings. All thanks to this aid, they now can at least ply. The specially-abled children procuring education at city schools and NGOs can now pack their picnic bags and head out like their peers. Ashok Leyland’s FunBus, which is equipped with hydraulic lifts and comfortable seating, gives their hopes a bump-less boost.
The disabled students studying at Akshay Pratishthan recently took the first joyride to Indraprastha Park. Indira Chaudhri, principal of the institute, recounts the experience: “We had always wanted to take the physically-challenged kids out on excursions, but transportation was a big hurdle. The FunBus helped us overcome that. We took 40 students on a picnic to IP Park recently and they had a great time.”
The makers intend to popularise this free service across city schools. Mahesh Gautam, AGM (sales), Ashok Leyland, says the company may launch more of these colourful-exterior buses soon. “We felt that disabled kids have a right to peek out of their confines, too. We spoke to the government authorities but nothing worked out. Now that we’ve launched it, we aim to provide this service to all institutions that wish to take students out on jaunts across the Capital,” he says.
