Aksa Dogalgaz, a Turkish natural gas distribution company, launched a special emergency service call center for the handicapped to deal with gas leaks called "Can Yoldaşı" (meaning Helpmate) at a publicity meeting on Friday in Ankara.
The company's call service will log and quickly respond to all natural gas leak complaints. Moreover, as part of their service, Aksa Dogalgaz will register handicapped person(s) living in households that the company serves. The company has developed new methods of providing services for the handicapped to use its emergency call center services, Chairman of Aksa Dogalgaz, Yasar Arslan, said.
"We began to register the handicapped in accordance with their disability, for example when a speech- impaired person calls us with their registered phone number, our emergency team will respond immediately without needing any further information on the emergency or their location," Arslan said.
According to Arslan, this service is unique as other natural gas emergency call centers as well as call centers in different industries generally do not respond to calls without receiving information over the phone.
He explained that the "Can Yoldaşı" service is offered to any household who has a registered handicapped subscriber.
"I hope our service will become a model for all other natural gas distribution companies and that all handicapped subscribers can benefit from this service," Arslan added.
Aksa Dogalgaz Company serves almost one third of households with natural gas.
Mustafa Yilmaz, the head of Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) said that it supports this initiative as well as other social responsibility projects.
EMRA hosted the company’s publicity meeting in their offices in Ankara.
By Muhsin Baris Tiryakioglu
Anadolu Agency
muhsin.tiryakioglu@aa.com.tr