Source::Gulf-times

MOWASALAT’S Karwa Training and Development Centre has started a facility for imparting driving skills to physically challenged people at “minimal costs”.
“Through the latest initiative, we hope to bridge the gap between physically able and disabled people in driving vehicles,” said executive director of Mowasalat Ahmed Bu Sherbak.

As part of the school’s New Year plans, it has decided to develop a strategy to equip special needs people with skills and capabilities for driving, he said. The school’s ultimate intention is to spread the message of better driving awareness among the country’s residents, added Bu Sherbak.

The company’s director of business development Ahmed al-Ansari said Mowasalat has made several initiatives recognising the difficulties of people with special needs.
He said, besides launching at least five cars exclusively for them, the company has launched 10 Sunny and double-decker buses that are also equipped to cater to special needs people.

Al-Ansari said the company’s public buses have also been designed to meet superior international specifications.
Administration manager of the training school Ali Behzad said it had equipped a Ford Mondeo with state-of-the-art technologies to give driving lessons to people with special needs.

The official said the trainers shortlisted for training special needs people were exceptionally qualified, skilled and could meet the requirements of their trainees in a much better way than their counterparts elsewhere.
The courses for the students range from seven days to 30 days, Behzad said.

“Free of charge theoretical lessons on safe driving and vehicle maintenance are also given to the trainees,” he said.
The training school’s technical manager Robert Makondo said the training vehicles had been designed specifically to meet the requirements of physically challenged people.
“Our trainers have extensive experience in imparting safe and accident-free driving skills to their students. A number of them are essentially multi-lingual and they can efficiently meet the requirements of their trainees,” he said.

The company, said Makondo, spared no time in recognising the talents of trainers, who he said, have good credentials as far as road safety was concerned. The school is also holding specialised courses for familiarising trainees with advanced traffic systems.

The training centre’s marketing executive Ahlam al-Tanbour said the techniques adopted by the centre would help the physically challenged to attain safety and security specifications much easier than usual.
Notwithstanding the huge costs involved in running the school, no additional fee is charged from people with special needs, he said.

Senior official at Qatar Centre for People with Special Needs Hamad al-Hasawi said the equipment installed in Karwa vehicles for training people with special needs were of high quality and had international recognition.

“Karwa is the first company to install such high equality equipment for training physically challenged,” he said.
The training school was set up with the aim of training light and heavy vehicle drivers as well as people with special needs. It also conducts courses to maximise efficiency of school trainers on safety, security, law awareness and accident prevention.