The Keelung Bus Company yesterday said that it is importing buses with wheelchair lifts so that it can better accommodate the needs of elderly and disabled passengers.
The company said that it is also planning to offer a special booking service so that elderly and disabled passengers can reserve a time and location for the buses to pick them up, due to the limited space available for such passengers.
Last month, the company introduced wheelchair lift buses on a new route between Hualien County’s Sincheng Township (新城) and New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋).
Photo: Lu Hsien-hsiu, Taipei Times
The buses run six times per day and have on-board lifts that can raise or lower wheelchairs, the company said.
However, there are only two locations where the buses can stop long enough to allow the wheelchair lift to be operated.
The company said that it hopes the new booking service will be utilized by elderly and disabled passengers, adding that all fees are the same as the fees for disabled passengers on city buses.
Keelung Bus Company management section chief Wang Ya-hung (王亞弘) said that the average time to pick up each passenger in a wheelchair is 10 minutes, as the driver has to place warning signs behind the bus and then operate the lift.
Not every stop is suitable to operate the wheelchair lift, Wang said, adding that people requiring such services should check the company’s online schedule.
All stops that can accommodate the wheelchair lift are to be marked on the schedule, Wang said.
The company said that it is planning to introduce the same service to different lines in the future.
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