Bus passengers using wheelchairs and other mobility devices are to have safer, more accessible journeys in metropolitan Melbourne with the Department of Transport trialling wheelchair restraints across select bus services.
Welcoming Australia’s first trial of its kind, Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll said research over the past two years, led by Federation University Australia, had looked into the most appropriate and effective ways to increase safety of wheelchairs on buses.
Mr Carroll said researchers used 3D modelling and real-world testing to capture the experiences of mobility device users on buses across a range of routes.
“Varying driving conditions were also tested to include all scenarios such as unexpected harsh braking and sharp corners,” Mr Carroll said.
“It was shown these systems reduce the risk of mobility devices sliding and tipping, improving safety and stability for passengers,” he said.
“The funding in the Budget will allow the research to progress into real-life scenarios, with the first phase seeing the wheelchair containment systems installed on up to 30 metropolitan, low-floor buses across different routes to assess their effectiveness over several months.”
Mr Carroll said passengers on select buses and routes would be able to position themselves within the allocated space and utilise the newly developed containment system features, “creating a more independent, comfortable and reliable journey.”
“This innovative research and roll-out is crucial in helping us understand the real-world experiences of people who use wheelchairs and mobility devices on our bus network and will help us improve safety,” the Minister said.
“[It] helps inform future use of wheelchair containment systems.”
He said the containment systems trial was expected to be rolled out in 2022-23.
