The auto-hailing app Namma Yatri on Thursday launched the ‘Purple Rides’ initiative to make mobility disability friendly by enabling drivers to understand and customise their assistance for users with visual, hearing, or physical impairments.
The initiative was launched with EnAble India, an NGO dedicated to empowering persons with disabilities (PwD). “With over 3,500 customers and 1,300+ drivers completing 6,000+ Purple Rides (the feature was available on an experimental basis), the initiative for inclusive mobility is gaining momentum. Today, most ride-hailing apps overlook disability friendliness. What began as a feedback session for improving accessibility within the Namma Yatri app evolved into a deep collaboration with EnAble India. Both teams worked closely to solve the problem from the ground up,” a press release stated.
The features include allowing users to disclose disabilities on their profiles and personalising assistance from drivers. The app adapts based on the disclosed disabilities, such as disabling phone calls from drivers for hearing-impaired users. It also features an interface for those with visual impairments and is compatible with talkback features.
