There are certain organizations that have passengers with special needs. Finding the right bus for sale for those with disabilities doesn’t have to be difficult. The question of when to buy a wheel chair bus needs to be answered. We often get customers who feel like they need a para-transit (wheel chair) bus for their organization, but after some research they often decide against it. Knowing when your organization needs to purchase a wheel chair bus might be more important that what to buy. Being able to provide transportation for those in your organization is important and here are some factors to consider:

#1. Wheel Chair Stations Take Up More Room

One factor to consider when deciding on a wheel chair bus is the number of ambulatory (fixed) that have to be removed to accommodate 1 wheel chair station. Every wheel chair station that is installed requires the removal of 4 fixed seats. Therefore, if your organization has a small group of passengers (1 or 2) who are wheel chair bound, then a bus with 2 wheel chair stations should suffice.

#2. Wheel Chair Lifts Come With Handles

Another reason to consider buying a wheel chair bus is that most modern wheel chair lifts (included on all our new buses) come with handles to be able to assist those onto the bus who may not be able to access the bus by using the steps. This can come in very handy for those who are using walkers and have increased difficulty lifting their legs. Most wheel chair lifts are rated to lift up to 800 lbs which is more than sufficient to lift most individual passengers.

#3. Government Assistance Might Be Available To Individuals

One factor that has come up in our conversations with customers trying to determine when to buy a wheel chair bus is the privacy of the individual. Quite often, individuals prefer to have their own wheel chair vehicles rather than riding with the group. When this is the case, the individual might qualify for government assistance in buying their own handicap accessible vehicle. If this is the case for your organization, then your organization might not need to purchase a wheel chair bus at all.

Each organization has it’s own set of unique needs and uses for their public transportation. Make sure you do your due diligence to determine whether or not your organization needs a wheel chair bus and how many people you might need to carry. If you have any questions regarding wheel chair buses, we would love to help guide you through the process of what to purchase for your specific needs. Call us today at (800) 370-6180!!