subject: Choosing Low Cost Wheelchair Conversions For Taxis [print this page] It is important that disability adaptations for taxis are kept at a low cost to enable these disability alterations for publicly used vehicles to be commissioned on a large scale, making it easier for everyone to get around easily. The alteration process for commercially used disability vehicles is often quite different to private vans, as it is necessary that the vehicle will easily cater to a wide variety of passengers.
This means that some costs can be kept down by eliminating personalised features such as driver controls and special seating arrangements. Costs can rise in other areas of the taxi wheelchair conversion, however, through multiple entry points and additional storage or passenger space.
Many specific designs are available that have been created for the purpose of minimising costs for companies supplying the vehicles. These designs often include ingenious space and money saving features such as folding ramps that eliminate the need for highly technical and expensive lifting devices and also provide much more space and comfort for the passenger in the interior of the van.
The best low cost vehicle designs also ensure that the vehicle is easy to maintain and is highly fuel efficient.
Many commercial vehicles can be made more cost effective by becoming more versatile in their uses. This can be done through various adaptation and alteration processes to make the vehicle suitable for transporting large groups of people with luggage, as well as disabled passengers with their mobility devices.
By fitting their taxi with a wheelchair conversion, a driver can feel safe in the knowledge that they will never have to turn down a fare due to the inadequacies of their vehicle again. This is especially important when considering the government legislation designed to keep the number of disabled access vehicles in rotation high. Adapting your vehicle to the needs of mobility challenged passengers might not be just advantageous, but also necessary.
When choosing a low cost vehicle for your fleet, you should be careful to make sure that the van you choose is of a high quality and is capable of catering to all your needs as a driver. Long term reliability is key in wheelchair conversions for taxis, as there is nothing more disruptive and disastrous to a driver than having to halt their day's work due to an irritating break down. Comfort is also important, both for the passenger and the driver. Discomfort in the driver's seat can lead to chronic injuries down the road, particularly in the spine and neck.
