The Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Arun Yadav, said in the Lok Sabha last week that car companies should make at least one or two models for the physically challenged. Replying to a specific query, the minister said that the Indian government has been advising auto companies to cater to the needs of the handicapped by manufacturing cars specifically for them. He also said that the government provides excise duty cuts on vehicles meant for the physically handicapped. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), some car companies did start providing cars with automatic transmission for the handicapped, but this was discontinued due to lack of demand. However, the auto industry would happily manufacture such vehicles on specific order, to suit a person’s disability, said Yadav.
