For most regular Uber and Ola users, the ongoing drivers’ strike is an inconvenience. They can hail black-and-yellow taxis, an autorickshaw, or battle through the crush on trains or buses. But for wheelchair users, the strike is a handicap.
For the last two days, Kartiki Patel, captain of India’s wheelchair basketball team, has been unable to travel from her home in Vikhroli to Vashi for her practice sessions. App-based taxis enable her to get around the city independently. But now, she says, “Both apps are showing no vehicles, and I can’t get regular taxis near my home.” An autorickshaw doesn’t work, because there’s not enough space for her folding wheelchair. And local trains and BEST buses are effectively inaccessible for her.
Neenu Kelwani, who travels from her home in Bandra to work in Wadala, has been using app-based taxis for a few years now. Ms. Kelwani’s father dropped her off at the office on Monday, and on Tuesday, he drove her to Mahim for a meeting. She then hired a car from Ezymov, a service offering vehicles modified for wheelchair users. “But it is way too expensive compared to Uber and Ola.”
