Cars meant for disabled being sold

The Ministry of Social Affairs recently discovered that some guardians are selling the specially designed cars that were donated by the ministry to individuals with special needs.
Ahmad Al-Sinani, spokesman for the ministry’s Madinah branch, said the ministry has taken steps to prevent relatives of beneficiaries from selling the expensive cars.
“According to new rules, the specially designed cars allocated to physically challenged people have to be registered with the Traffic Department and it has to be used exclusively by individuals with special needs,” Al-Sinani said.
“The vehicle’s permit is no longer transferable for the first five years. These measures have been taken to avoid commercial exploitation of the cars.”
Al-Sinani said that a legal guardian is responsible for the safe transportation of a disabled individual in whose name the vehicle is issued.
The cars are part of a SR1.5 billion project that was launched last year by the ministry. In the first phase, the ministry distribute 4,000 cars at a cost of SR150,000. The cars come with a mechanized boarding device and specially designed seats.
Some guardians were quoted as saying in a local daily that since the cars were too large for their disabled children, they decided to sell them off. The special cars were reportedly used to carry fodder from farms to local markets and for transporting tourists.
Local officials pointed out that the cars have been sold during the past five years. The guardians have found ways to sidestep the ban on the sale of these cars.
Al-Sinani has appealed to imams to enlighten people against the exploitation of disabled children for monetary gains.