Accessible vehicles

If you are acquiring a vehicle with which to transport people with disabilities there are some important questions to consider, some of which are set out below:

• Will you be transporting wheelchair users?
• Is a low floor important for people with walking difficulties?
• Will you need space to secure folded wheelchairs?
• Will wheelchair users be travelling in their wheelchairs? If so, how many at one time? And how many seated passengers do you need room for?
• Will special equipment such as a wheelchair restraint system, lift or ramp be required?
• Will the drivers need training in the safe use of the special equipment.

Hampshire Transport Management and Community Transport can both advise on how best to choose a vehicle to suit the needs of your passengers. For training your drivers to use specialist equipment such as a passenger lift, MiDAS provides an 'accessible module' for drivers of minibuses that transport passengers with disabilities.