Carelink opts for Optare
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• London Buses has launched its new service for mobility handicapped people travelling between London's main line railway stations which connect to the Airbus services (CM 1723 March). The Carelink service will use three Optare CityPacers fitted with wheelchair clamps, Henderson Hide-AWay chair-lifts at the rear, grab handles and a retractable extralow step in the front entrance. Each £33,000 vehicle can take four wheelchairs and eight seated passengers, The circular route provides an hourly service, seven days a week between Waterloo, Victoria, Paddington, Euston, Kings Cross and Liverpool St Stations from 08:30hrs to 19:50hrs. It costs 21 for adults (half price for pensioners, permit holders and children) and connects with Airbus Al and A2 to Heathrow at Victoria and Euston.
London Buses, which predicts operating costs of £100,000 a year, has trained six drivers to cope with the special needs of the disabled, and won the contract from London Regional Transport.
All of the 24 Airbus Metrobuses have now had chair lifts retrofitted to their centre exits and two wheelchair clamps fitted by MCW at a cost of 2140,000. Their operating costs and scheduling will not be affected.