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Minis aid handicapped
Page 74
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WEST BERLIN now operates a total of 42 specially equipped minibuses for the transport of handicapped passengers. Sponsored by the German Ministry for Research and Technology, many of the vehicles in the so-called Telebus scheme (the name of the scheme is based on the free dial-a-bus facility for wheelchair passengers and other physically handicapped persons) are of special designs such as the Vetter, Neoplan and FFG units which have a "landing" system for roll-on loading of wheelchairs.
Other buses are based on Steyr, Ford Transit or Mercedes-Benz and VW models; some incorporate ex perimental features to accelerate passenger transfer while others have the more familiar platform lifts.
Considerable interest in the scheme has been shown by a number of overseas countries and, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the City of Los Angeles which is being celebrated this autumn, Berlin — which is twinned with the US city — is sending one of the vehicles for an extended trial period.
The vehicle chosen is the second Neoplan prototype with a specially adapted air suspension system which allows the entire vehicle body to be lowered for easy access.
With an overall length of 6.69m and a width of 2.3m the front-wheel-drive unit can accommodate up to six wheelchair passengers plus four accompanying persons; alternative seat anchorages provide for ten seated and five wheelchair passengers. Unladen weight of the Neoplan, which is powered by a Mercedes fivecylinder diesel engine of 59kVV, is 3000kg.