Information extracted from BBC NewsNovember 24, 2005

A new coach capable of carrying wheelchair users is about to go into use in the UK. The Levante is the result of collaboration between British and Portuguese companies and took two years to develop. National Express is hoping to put 100 of the coaches into service in the next two years. The company aims to operate a fully accessible coach network in the UK in time for the Olympics in 2012. Until recently, travelling by coach has been off limits to many elderly and disabled people with impaired mobility.

Failed attempts

The new Levante has been developed by a number of companies in London and the Midlands, as well as a Portuguese firm, Salvador Caetano. It has a large door, shallow entrance steps and a flat floor. The vehicle is also fitted with a wheelchair lift which takes the passenger from the kerbside and hoists them into a space normally occupied by two standard seats. The passenger can then use the same three-point seatbelt as other customers. The lift is hidden from view when not in use and the two seats can be put back in. A previous attempt at making coaches accessible had to be abandoned after complaints by customers. The older version had a lift in the centre, whereas all passengers board the Levante from the front. The centre-mounted lift occupied a large amount of space, took a long time to operate and was impossible to use unless bus stops and coach stations were modified. Other passengers also complained about heat loss through the cavity occupied by the lift and the time taken to get disabled travellers on and off the coach. The principle drawback of the Levante is that it can only carry one wheelchair-using passenger at a time. 'Very safe'Ann Bates, a member of the Disabled Persons' Transport Advisory Committee (Diptac) and a wheelchair user herself, has tried the new coach and is favourably impressed.