Indore: Disabled, elderly get free rides to polling booths in chauffeur-driven cabs

INDORE: A chauffeur driven car with a note of apology at the doorstep surprised Hariom Pandit and his family tired of waiting for a battery rickshaw for over an hour to escort them to the polling booth. Pandit, his wife and daughter, all visually impaired, were all dressed up at 6.30am to travel over 13 km to cast their ballots in an administration sponsored vehicle.
Pandit had booked a battery rickshaw but the vehicle did not turn up.However, soon a car was sent by the district administration to ferry the Pandits to the polling booth.
Pandit (53), an executive assistant at CGST said, “I am short of words to express my happiness. I was sad after I missed assembly polls because the booth was far as I shifted a few months ago but transport facility by the administration made things very easy.”
To aid elderly and disabled voters, district administration rolled out free-of-cost transport facility. A temporary call centre was set up and a toll free number was circulated. Pandits were not the only ones. Marshal Alick, a paralytic working at a private firm, cast his ballot and helped over a dozen disabled and elderly voters from his locality to exercise their franchise who couldn’t cast vote in assembly polls due to transport issue.
Alick said, “The facility should always have been there for elderly and physically challenged voters. Transport is a major constraint for people like us and this kind of initiative will help increase voter turnout.”
Seven cars were stationed at collectorate since early morning while 22 battery driven rickshaws were placed at zonal offices of Indore Municipal Corporation along with assistants.
Vimala Sonkhetri, a 65-year-old voter said, “I was not aware of any such free-of-cost transport facility. It was only when Alick informed us we could cast our votes. In the assembly election I could not cast my vote because conveyance was not available.”
Still many disabled voters coming to vote showed ignorance when asked about the facility and complained of poor advertisement by district administration.
Sushila Nagdev, a 70-year-old voter who came with her son said, “I was not aware about it. It’s a pain for us to commute but voting is our duty and I took all the pain to cast my vote.”