The maker of a new tuk-tuk prototype retrofitted with a wheelchair ramp hopes to usher in a new era of wheelchair-friendly travel in Phnom Penh.
Ian Jones, a consultant for the Agile Development Group, is the mastermind behind the new handicap-friendly tuk-tuk, which features a simple metal ramp that acts as backdoor to the tuk-tuk as well as a strap inside the carriage that secures the wheelchair.
The tuk-tuk can fit three passengers, including the wheelchaired passenger, he said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is blind in one eye, has made the rights of disabled and handicapped people a pet issue.
However, despite the government passing a law mandating protections for those with disabilities, it has been criticised for its sluggish implementation, and issues surrounding accessibility remain common.
Jones said that he was seeking funding to expand the project and eventually mass-produce the tuk-tuks.
“In a perfect world there would be someone who just makes them so they become common-place,” he said.
Source: The Phnow Penh Post
