Marikina rolls out PWD-friendly trike

EASY RIDERS The AMV allows enough room and comfortable movement for people in wheelchairs or senior citizens. The Marikina City government hopes to run a fleet of 20 units this year. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

WHILE many business establishments and government buildings in the country have become PWD-friendly, Marikina City is extending this kindness further down the road, quite literally.

The local government is set to launch today an “adaptive mobile vehicle” (AMV) specially intended for the estimated 5,000 PWDs or people with disabilities who live in the city, as well as for senior citizens.

The AMV, basically an elongated tricycle that allows more headroom, was conceptualized by Vice Mayor Jose Fabian Cadiz “to show to the country that there can be a dedicated public transport service for PWDs.”

In a recent interview, Cadiz said the absence of a PWD-friendly vehicle in the country is “short of telling PWDs that they aren’t allowed on public conveyances because of the difficulty in riding them.”

With the AMV, wheelchair-bound individuals can commute around the city with much ease, even with only the driver as companion. The AMV is also wider than a conventional tricycle and can accommodate three passengers.

It also has a clamp to hold the wheelchair in place, and a movable ramp for easier entry or exit. Passengers can sit up straight inside, which Cadiz said is more convenient for senior citizens with rheumatism.

Run by the city government, the AMV service will charge regular tricycle fares and give a 20-percent discount for PWDs and senior citizens. After the first unit hitting the road today, 20 more are expected to follow within the year.

As the fleet gets bigger, a hotline will soon be set up for PWDs or senior citizens who need such a special transport.

Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman said other local governments could follow this example and provide their own AMVs, which cost about P110,000 each or P10,000 more than a regular tricycle.

The project was realized also with the support of civic groups like the Lions International Marikina and Rotary Club of Marikina.