Wheelchair taxi startup Ezy Mov in talks with investors to raise funds for expansion

Mumbai-based wheelchair taxi startup Ezy Mov is in advanced talk with investors to raise funds worth Rs 5 crore as it looks to expand its services to two more cities, its co-founder and director Bennet DCunha has said.  The company has also signed an agreement with Vaccine on Wheels, a doctor- based mobile vaccination clinic for the last mile delivery of the COVID-19 vaccines, particularly for the senior citizens and physically challenged people, a release said.  Currently, the company operates a fleet of 35 taxis across Mumbai, New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru.

“We are in advanced talks with the investors and will soon get the Rs 5 crore of funding. This will help us expand our fleet, enter into other domestic cities and also in strengthening technological and human resources support,” said DCunha.  The start-up has plans to enter Chennai and Pune markets in the next phase of expansion considering a huge requirement of accessible transportation in these cities,  said the release.  “With further expansion, we will be able to strengthen the central governments mission of Accessible India — a programme for providing universal accessibility for persons with disabilities (PwDs),” DCunha added.  The startup is contemplating to support the Accessible India campaign by making its services available through its recently launched mobile app, Sugamya Bharat, to help such people to point out any public places or utility services or buildings, which are inaccessible, said the release.

Started in 2015 by the trio of Bennet Dcunha, Rajesh Patil and Romeo Ravva,  Ezy Mov became the first Indian entity to address the mobility issues of physically challenged and impaired people by launching an advanced fleet of cabs fitted with hydraulic lifts and wheelchair restraint system to provide ease, said the release.   As per one estimate, the company said, about 18 per cent of citizens and permanent wheelchair disabled segments need accessible transportation facilities in the country.  Under the agreement with Vaccine on Wheels, Ezy Mov will provide its fleet of hydraulic lift-fitted vans to support the drive, the release said, adding it is also eyeing partnering with corporates, who are looking at vaccinating their employees and their immediate families to provide the services at their doorsteps.  Till date, Ezy Mov has completed more than 2,00,000 rides transporting physically challenged persons from their homes, railway stations, airports, hospitals to their destinations, as per the release.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)