I met a person today who was excited about the Nano he had booked and was looking forward to driving it. Yes, a lot is being written about it and more will be once it is on the roads. There are debates going on everywhere-is it a boon or bane? What is going to be its effect on the environment? What is going to be its impact on the already congested roads? Well, the discussion goes on. But wait…..

Has anybody ever thought why not a Nano for the disabled? The disabled need a car that has an automatic transmission. There are some gearless cars available in the market but they are way too expensive and beyond the reach of the average disabled. It’s not readily available and the waiting period is very long. The Central Government has given some Excise Duty concessions but it has to go through a lot of red tape. You also don’t have a choice between brands or rather have to take what is available. Some battery operated cars are available which can be driven by the disabled. But the seating capacity is limited to two persons. That makes it unattractive for the price. There are some customized ones in the unorganized market too. Due to lack of guarantee on the safety aspects, there is an element of risk involved. All these issues makes one wonder why is it that nobody has ever thought of the transport needs of the disabled be it in the two wheeler or four wheeler segment. The need is an affordable model with an automatic transmission. Will it ever happen? Well, that’s a big question