Bengaluru: When a Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) teacher with locomotor disability made a pitstop in the city during his 6,000-km journey on a tri-scooter, educating the masses was on his mind, specifically about the need for a better tri-scooter policy for persons with disabilities (PwDs).Travelling roughly 3,500km from Jodhpur to Kanyakumari and traversing through Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, Solapur in Maharashtra, Vijayapura in Karnataka, and Madurai in Tamil Nadu en route, Jagdish Lohar, 51, halted in Bengaluru on Tuesday and Wednesday on his way back.“No matter where I travelled, there was always this gap in information about the rights and responsibilities of PwDs,” Lohar, who works with KV Jodhpur, told TOI.“It could be in availing railway passes or knowing about Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) certification for disabled-friendly scooters. Often, we have to buy a model made for able-bodied persons and go to a local shop to get it modified. That would be in violation of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act,” said Lohar, who travels on his scooter with two extra wheels attached.A solution to this, he said, would be for companies to manufacture vehicles for individuals and get them ARAI certified as well.Lohar has been undertaking long-distance rides for PwD welfare since 2013, starting with a 1,800-km ride from Jodhpur to Srinagar. Although he is on his seventh expedition on a tri-scooter, not much has changed in terms of policy. “There is no govt policy around tri-scooters. There is one on disabled-friendly cars — but that is easier to manufacture, as the controls need to be changed from legs to hands. Whereas in a tri-scooter, there is the addition of two wheels. If done right, it gives the rider a smooth ride and can be aesthetic…”To Lohar, a tri-scooter is a PwD’s window to opportunities. “I can go to my art shows because the scooter increases mobility. These come in the range of Rs 1 lakh-plus, while a car would cost at least Rs 4 lakh. During my ride to Kanyakumari, I spent just Rs 7,000 on fuel,” he said, as he mounted his bike and rode around the city. He planned to continue riding 350km a day to reach Jodhpur by Tuesday next week.Lohar has received ‘best employee’ awards in the past while finding ways to aid disabled persons with information. He pursues his generational passion for micro-artwork — having created a 0.5mm torch and a 5.7mm drilling machine for painted circuit boards.