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Telangana

RGIA makes travel easier for wheelchair users

Trained mobility caregivers accompany travellers throughout the journey, offering assistance with boarding, luggage and other essential needs.

Siddhardha Gattimi

HYDERABAD: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, Buddy Mobility Care, in partnership with GMR Hyderabad International Airport, has launched the country’s first dedicated wheelchair-accessible airport transportation service.

The collaboration, which took shape in November, introduces a structured, end-to-end ground transport solution for passengers with reduced mobility, ensuring that accessibility does not end at the airport terminal but continues seamlessly beyond it.

Unlike conventional cab services, Buddy Mobility Care operates specially modified vehicles fitted with hydraulic lifts or ramps, allowing passengers to board without transferring from their wheelchairs. Trained mobility caregivers accompany travellers throughout the journey, offering assistance with boarding, luggage and other essential needs.

“What sets the service apart is its continuity of care. Once booked, the vehicle and driver remain assigned to the passenger for the entire duration of the trip — whether for a few hours or over several days. In some instances, customers have availed the service continuously for over 45 days, highlighting its adaptability and trustworthiness,” Buddy Mobility Care founder and CEO Sartaj Lamba told TNIE. Stating that at most airports accessibility support ends at the terminal exit, she added that the partnership marks a major milestone in making air travel in India truly accessible and dignified.

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