A First Accessible Moto-Tricycle for Persons with Disabilities is Modified in Cambodia

A first accessible Moto-Tricycle for Persons with Disabilities is modified in Kingdome of Cambodia by a group of engineer called “Engineer Without Borders Australia” in January 2016, that can assist either for Cambodian or foreign Persons with Disabilities who use wheelchairs as their way of moving around.

His Excellency Em Chan Makara, Secretary General of Disability Action Council congratulated to the group of engineer called “Engineer Without Borders Australia”. Miss Megan Smith and her colleagues, the owner of Hotel Boutique who have very supportive to this modification initiative for a trail Moto-tricycle that has an accessible ramp where all wheelchair users and other persons in needed can easily use.

His Excellency Secretary General informed to Miss Megan Smith and Mrs. Anne Elizabeth Lubell, the representative of UNICEF in Cambodia, that Secretariat General will take this moto-tricycle as   model to announce to the Association of Moto-tricycle drivers or owner so they can consider for further modification of their Moto-tricycle for ramp. The Moto-cycle can have accessibility for Persons with Disabilities either Cambodian or foreigners who use wheelchairs. They can easily get access to transport to wherever they want such as to work, to market, to a recreation place, and other public places. Thus, all wheelchair users as well as elderly people and those are in needed will have no more barriers, reduce accidence and save for travel cost.

His Excellency Em Chan Makara clarified that this trail Moto-tricycle for Persons with Disabilities is more expensive than the usual one. The normal one cost only US$900 to US$1000; while this accessible Moto-tricycle for Persons with Disabilities cost up to US$1200.

His Excellency Em Chan Makara continued that the owner of trail Moto-tricycle who has modified ramps for their Moto-tricycles can get an increase of income with more customers. This is also can promote tourists who are Persons with Disabilities come for tourist in Cambodia. He added, the Disability Action Council Secretariat General is going to produce a video spot on the benefits of the trail Moto-tricycle equipped with ramp to disseminate to Persons with Disabilities, public people, and especially to other owners of Moto-tricycles are in Phnom Penh Capital, and tourist places such as Siem Reap Province, Preah Sihanouk Province, and other Provinces, for, they clearly understand the benefits of this trial Moto-tricycles with ramp.

Miss. Megan Smith is a wheelchair user stated, that she is very happy because she has also involved into production of this tail Moto-tricycle equipped with adjustable ramp. Miss. Megan Smith used to face difficulty by her wheelchair is so heavy, and she needs a Moto-cycle driver to carry her up and down whenever she travels. This can be an ashamed because she is a female and is carried by a male; also traveling costs her more expensive than people with non-disability. However, after this trail Moto-cycle equipped with ramp, she gets easier traveling to many other places and save more money.

Notice that Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia and the Honorary President of Disability Action Council, usually calls for all government ministries and institutions also all level authority to organize for accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in all their places and public places such as parking lots for Persons with Disabilities, bathroom equipped with ramps and handrails, sign post in all ministries and institutions, departments, streets, recreations, cultural centers, sport places, institutional education, hotel, hospitals, health centers, and transportation ways. There should pay more attention on the benefits of Persons with Disabilities and raise the livelihood of Persons with Disabilities for more appropriate according the increase of national economy. Also, there is a need for a measurement to promote people, donors, private sectors, and other civil society organizations to support Persons with Disabilities.