Chandigarh: Helping wheelchair-dependent people travel independently

Chandigarh: Mobility Care – a pioneering start-up by Sartaj Lamba – was officially launched across the country by Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari. This innovative service is specially designed to provide accessible and safe transport to persons with disabilities, comprising vehicles equipped with hydraulic lifts and ramps for easy access. In his address at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, Sector 26, the Chandigarh MP highlighted the importance of such services in enhancing the quality of life for the specially-abled community. Apart from the launch, an inspirational film ‘Above the Limits’ based on the journey of the start-up and its impact on the lives of persons with disabilities and wheelchair dependents was also unveiled by Tewari. The film, created by National Award-winning director Ojaswi Sharma, showcases real-life stories of individuals who have benefited from this service. Tewari also emphasised the need for more inclusive solutions in public and private transport, lauding Buddy Mobility Care’s visionary approach to bridge this gap.

Sartaj Lamba, Founder, Buddy Mobility Care said, “Our aim is to provide a service that not only meets their transportation needs but also empowers them to live a more independent and fulfilling life. With the national launch, we hope to bring about a change in society’s outlook towards mobility for the disabled.” Sartaj conceptualised the start-up after facing a similar difficulty while taking care of his father-in-law Major General JS Lamba (Retd). ‘Buddy’, a term used by army officers for a person they can always rely on, is an apt name for this new service for people with disabilities. This family-owned start-up is run by all women members – Sartaj, his mother-in-law Ravinder Savani, the Director and their daughter Avneet Bani Lamba who handles the office affairs of Buddy Mobility Care. A game-changer in the Indian transportation landscape, the company plans to expand the fleet and reach more cities in the coming months. It currently operates in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh and plans to take it to Bangalore soon. Ad film for theatres
The event showcased a 6-minute short film ‘Above the Limit-Buddy Mobility Care’ by director Ojaswi Sharma. The film is also available in three-minute and one-minute formats. “As we all know how digitalisation and social media have reduced the attention span of people, it was necessary to communicate this public service message in a clear manner. The one-minute format has been adopted specifically for advertising in movie theatres to spread awareness about its utility across India,” Sharma said. For the film, Sharma has roped in people with disabilities like Miss Wheelchair World Saumya Thakur, Ashish Verma (archery), Anjali Thakur, (boccia), Vidya Kumari (table tennis) and Suvarna Raj (athlete), all from Chandigarh and neighbouring states. Sharma is known for making the National Award-winning documentary ‘Admitted’, which is based on a transgender from Chandigarh. In his other recent project ‘Rabb Di Awaz’, he worked with visually impaired people.