Mobility no more a difficulty

Pithapuram (East Godavari): He is a two-wheeler mechanic whose expertise and innovation helps provide easy mobility to the physically challenged. P Appa Rao alias Appanna with two-and-half decades of experience, is one of the few two-wheeler mechanics in the district who specialises in altering scooters into three-wheelers to enable the physically challenged to ride the vehicles with ease and confidence.

About a decade ago, a physically challenged person approached Appanna and asked him to convert his two-wheeler into a three-wheeler. The order for a customised vehicle unearthed his hidden talent. Using his rich experience and bringing in some innovation, he designed the customised vehicle by adding two more wheels on the left and right side of the rear one for a better balance and to ensure a comfortable ride. The vehicle owner was immensely satisfied with the modified two-wheeler.

From then onwards, Appanna started designing customised two-wheelers for the physically challenged. About a dozen mechanics are working in his shed now. He has so far delivered 150 such modified two-wheelers of different makes to his customers in East, West Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts. There is a great demand for customised vehicles from the physically challenged as no two-wheeler company produces them even as a corporate social responsibility. About Rs 20,000 is needed to alter Hero Pleasure, Activa and other models into customised vehicles.

Speaking to The Hans India, Appanna said ``I do not charge any extra money from the physically challenged for altering two-wheelers into modified vehicles. I want to provide them easy mobility in urban and semi-urban areas without depending on others for their day to day activities. Many physically challenged people will get benefited if the government encourages small automobile units to produce customized two-wheelers by providing them incentives.’’

By Saride Nageswara Rao