18 Driving Schools in the Province Can Take C5 License Exams, 300 Disabled People in Changsha Drive on the Road
On February 23, at Changsha Yuanzheng Driving School, a C5 auxiliary device inside the car replaced the position of the handbrake and gearshift of a regular vehicle, allowing disabled people with lower limb impairments to drive smoothly. Reporter Wu Xia took the photo.
"This has been my dream for over twenty years. I am very grateful for the government's good policies. Now, I can finally drive on the road," said Tang Junjie, who had both legs amputated, with evident excitement.
Among the 4.08 million disabled individuals in our province, more than half are physically disabled. After opening up the application for C5 driver’s licenses, disabled learners have enthusiastically signed up. Currently, there are 18 driving schools in the entire province that can conduct C5 license exams, with two located in Changsha.
More than 300 disabled learners in Changsha have graduated.
Tang Junjie, 26, is from Changsha's Mu Yun area. Due to a congenital malignant disease, he had both his legs amputated. He lifted his trouser leg to reveal a pair of prosthetic limbs. "Since I was young, I've longed to move around and drive to places I want to go like able-bodied people. Such a simple wish seemed so far out of reach. Last year, when I heard that disabled people could take driving tests and get on the road, I immediately decided to sign up."
It was understood that at the end of 2010, the seven national ministries jointly issued a document allowing individuals with disabilities in their right lower limb or both lower limbs to apply for a C5 driver's license. Subsequently, our province began training disabled drivers. In April last year, 23 students became the first group of disabled drivers in our province to graduate with a C5 driver's license. In just ten months, more than 300 disabled drivers in the Changsha area alone have graduated.
The cycle for disabled people to obtain a driver's license requires four months.
At the only designated driving school for disabled people in Changsha - Yuanzheng Driving School - we saw five white C5 license modified vehicles equipped with five full-time instructors. Principal Zhang Jianming said that after specific modifications, those with disabilities in their right lower limb can use a lever and U-shaped connection pedal to switch to left-foot accelerator control, while those with both legs disabled can operate the vehicle manually with both hands.
For able-bodied individuals, the driving test process generally takes less than two months to complete, whereas for disabled learners, it usually takes about four months. Coach Qi Yongsi said: "Because of partial physical impairments, we impose stricter requirements on disabled candidates. The training cycles and frequency will be intensified because during the four subject exams and road driving, disabled drivers are not given special treatment."
Modifying a car costs 4,000 yuan.
The coach introduced that as long as you purchase any automatic transmission vehicle, you can achieve fully manual driving for C5 by going to a designated 'Disability Vehicle Auxiliary Device Point,' with modification costs approximately 4,000 yuan.
Above the driver's seat on the right, the reporter noticed a black handle with four keys. "Pressing the red key sounds the horn, the green key locks the brakes, the black column controls the lights, and a small black dot allows switching between the handle and the vehicle's own operation key. Pushing the handle forward applies the brake, pulling it back accelerates." The reporter also noted that to allow the left hand to grip the steering wheel firmly, there is a handle about 10 centimeters high on the steering wheel.
Term Explanation
C5 Driver's License
After the revised 'Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driver's Licenses' came into effect, it allowed five categories of people - those with disabilities in their right lower limb, both lower limbs, hearing impairments, missing right thumb, or finger end defects - to drive cars. Due to physical restrictions, individuals with disabilities in their right lower limb or both lower limbs can apply for a C5 driver's license (the permitted model being a small automatic passenger car specifically designed for disabled individuals).
Reminder
Disabled individuals using mobility vehicles can receive a 260-yuan subsidy.
Minister Xie Kaitu of the Rights Protection Department of the Provincial Federation of the Disabled stated: "Vehicles used by disabled individuals for transportation, such as motorized wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs, can receive an annual fuel subsidy of 260 yuan per person. Citizens holding a 'Disability Certificate' can apply to the county-level (city, district) Federation of the Disabled in their place of household registration with proof of vehicle purchase, and the subsidy will be approved and distributed accordingly."
According to information from the provincial Health Department, individuals with disabilities in their right lower limb or both lower limbs can first undergo a medical examination at designated hospitals in each county, then enroll in one of the 18 designated C5 driving training institutions across the province. Currently, the driving test fee in Changsha offers a thousand-yuan discount for disabled individuals, approximately 2,480 yuan.
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