Explore Chennais shoreline on these wheelchairs

Equipped with huge and bulbous wheels that may navigate seashore sands with ease, these wheelchairs in blue are the newest attraction at Marina Beach and Elliots Beach. Marina Beach has the lion’s share of them — ten — whereas its petite cousin Elliots Beach has two.

As far as Marina Beach, these specially-designed wheelchairs may very well be seen as an addition to its Blue Flag seashore options which promote environmental sustainability and accessibility.

An government engineer with Greater Chennai Corporation identified that out of the ten baloon wheelchairs (as they’re referred to as, given the form and look of their wheels), eight are parked close to the swimming pool and the 2 close to the picket ramp.

“Five devoted folks take turns to supervise using these wheelchairs that are meant for these with bodily disabilities,” says the official. As of now, they’re accessible from morning to night. “People are allowed to maintain the wheelchair and benefit from the seashore however when there’s a demand we would ask them to return it inside a time-frame,” says the engineer.

Jimmy Fitter, senior supervisor gross sales and advertising — south, Seedee Wheelchairs LLP, says Greater Chennai Corporation procured 10 seashore buggy wheelchairs from the corporate and so they have additionally skilled the workers on how you can use it. The seashore buggy can take as much as 128 kg and may transfer simply on free, moist sand and on water.

The manually-operated automobile doesn’t require any main changes or understanding. Jimmy says as and when the stress goes beneath the required studying, the wheels must be stuffed with air utilizing an air pump. He says: “If there’s rusting of nut bolts because of sea air then wheel stress needs to be maintained as per specs.”