Qatar’s first handicap-accessible limousine service eyes expansion

Getting around Qatar can be challenging at the best of times, but for wheelchair users, it can be especially daunting.

To help tackle transportation problems faced by people with disabilities, one Qatar resident has recently helped launch the country’s first handicap-accessible limousine service.

Ibticar, the Arabic word for “innovation,” is the brainchild of Anirban Lahiri, 32, who was born and raised in Qatar.

Lahiri has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair to get around. Speaking to Doha News, he said navigating Qatar can be quite frustrating, as there are very few accessible transport options. A few specialist taxis do operate under Mowasalat’s Karwa brand, but Lahiri said he found them to be unreliable, as when he calls to make a reservation, there are often no suitable cars available.

The lack of options can be particularly problematic during emergencies. Lahiri said that several years ago, his mother was hospitalized. His brother Ari, who also uses a wheelchair, wanted to visit her but it took him several days before he could arrange some form of accessible transport.

“This lack of inclusiveness simply means we aren’t able to travel. It is hurtful on various levels. The inability to travel is frustrating personally and emotionally,” Lahiri told Doha News.

Original article by Lesley Walker

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Qatar’s first handicap-accessible limousine service eyes expansion