Important Safety Features for Wheelchair-Accessible Buses and Vans

In Canada, there is federal law that governs wheelchair-accessible buses and vans. This is called Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations, and the part that applies to buses is Division 4.

The complete requirements and description information related to what is required for buses and vans transporting persons in wheelchairs is beyond the scope of this short blog article. We will, however, give you an idea what kinds of requirements there are.

For example, if your bus or van has a lift to get the wheelchair into and out of the vehicle, then there are three requirements:

• The lift has to have handrails.
• The lift has to be able to support a minimum weight of 272 kg.
• There has to be a lip preventing the wheelchair from sliding off the lift.
• The lift floor has to be skid resistant.

As another example, if the bus or van has safety features written on cards on board, then the following must also be available:

• At least two safety features cards must be in large print.
• At least two safety features cards must be in braille.
• Passenger safety information must also be available in an audio and visual format with the audio and/or font adjustable for the comfort of the listener or reader.

There is no shortage of rules for buses and vans that carry wheelchair passengers. The good new is that an experienced bus dealer like Dynamic Specialty Vehicles can help you navigate what is required. Dynamic Specialty also can help clients find either new or used wheelchair-accessible buses or vans for purchase, based on your requirements, budget, and business plan.

If you would like more information about wheelchair-accessible buses and vans, call us at our toll-free number (888) 416-9333, and we can help you.

Dynamic Specialty Vehicles has been supplying and servicing mid-sized buses for over 30 years. With long-term contracts with demanding clients like BC Ambulance and BC Transit, Dynamic Specialty Vehicles knows how to keep their clients safe and their buses running smoothly.

If you have any questions about this article or would like further information about buses and/or services, please call us on our Toll-Free number, (888) 416-9333.