The Bike Factor: Disability And The Ability

New Delhi: “People are surprised to see me ride. They wonder how I can do it with my disability,” says Pankaj Singh Bhagwane. At nine months old, a wrong injection for fever gave him polio. Despite multiple treatments, it couldn’t be cured. 

His passion for riding bikes pushed him to get a bike on EMI. He then customised it with side wheels, hand brakes, and a wider gear shifter. “I like to chauffeur people to their destinations,” he says. 

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A boy struggled with 58% impairment in both legs, he now zips through the city streets on his bike. 

Pankaj started ‘Lifebaazi,’ a YouTube channel, where he posts vlogs based on his routine.

Pankaj’s first job was as a delivery agent.

He recalls,

“They initially said no, but I convinced them to put me on a seven-day trial. They were impressed by my knowledge of routes and timely deliveries.”

After quitting the job due to unpaid salaries, he applied as a bike taxi rider using his friend’s license. “I wasn’t confident that people would accept me as a rider, so I practiced for a month. The customers’ response was surprisingly positive.”

Now riding regularly with his own license, Pankaj faces challenges like poorly maintained roads and waterlogged streets, causing back and waist pain. Despite this, he completes 10-15 rides a day, earning around Rs. 600-700 and up to Rs. 1000 on a good day. 

“A passenger recently told me that he has seen able-bodied people who do not work as hard. Such passing remarks keep me going.”

Pankaj says,

“Another passenger thanked me and said, ‘Bhaiya, you helped me reach the destination faster than other riders.’ That made my day.” 

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