SURAT, Jan 5: The Andhjan Shikshan Mandal, Surat, and the Surat Round Table (135) jointly organised a car rally for the blind on Sunday. The rally, second of its kind in Surat, was flagged off by Police Commissioner Kuldeep Sharma.As many as 40 visually impaired participants, including women, from Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Ider, Mehsana, Gandhinagar and Surat took part in the rally. The rally is unique in the sense that the participants did not drive the vehicles themselves, but only navigated deciphering the 75-km long route of the rally using braille.
Braving dusty, treacherous route, the participants managed to return Surat by 1.30 pm.
Gajendra Vyas, who teamed up with sighted driver Gopalkrishna Huria, won the first prize while Nishant Patel with driver Ankur Mehta was placed second. Bhaskarbhai Mehta and Bharatbhai Shukla with their respective drivers Rajendra Saini and Devang Munim were tied in the third spot.
An all-woman team Babuben Zala with Paulomi Akruwala at the wheel also took part in the rally. Mayor Savitaben Sharda and secretary of Round Table Area-3 Rajiv Bansal gave away the prizes. President of ASM Dr Harikrushna Joshi, vice-president Batukbhai Naik, secretary Anand Chokhawala were among others who attended the function, while Chairman Jayeshbhai Chhatiawala and Vice-Chairman Arif Badan, besides others, represented SRT-135.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.