San
Mateo County is
located in the San Francisco Bay Area and covers a big portion of the San Francisco Peninsula, south of the state. The place
is extremely diverse and affluent. Due to this, traveling inside the county,
for some, requires special mode of transit such as, mobility devices. Mobility
devices aid people with severe walking disabilities or who have difficulty
undertaking longer journeys.
Scooters and wheelchairs
Mobility scooters or wheelchairs
are a great substitute for walking. Wheelchairs can either be propelled
manually or can be powered electrically. Mobility scooters, on the other hand,
are only electrically powered, as are motorized wheelchairs. Scooters and
wheelchairs are usually recommended for any person that has tremendous
mobility/balance impairment.
Traveling with Mobility Devices
There are several transportation
providers in the county that have room for mobility devices. From buses to
private vans, people can choose from a variety of options as per their
requirement.
Buses:
San Mateo is very accommodating for people
that travel with mobility devices. However, they have set standards when
boarding such vehicles. While entering, following measures need to be taken:
- Flags and poles need to be attached to the mobility device.
- In case the patient requires using a ramp or a lift then the bus operator will request him/her to board the vehicle before anyone else. Once the stop arrives, the operator will assist the patient off the bus after others.
- When the patient boards the lift in a wheelchair, he/she is requested to lock the brakes to prevent unnecessary rolling when the lift is operating. Once the machine is properly secure, the operator raises the lift till the time it levels with the floor of the bus.
- Patients are asked to face forward when boarding the ramp.
The bus is equipped with belts to
secure wheelchairs and scooters. The belts on majority of these buses have a
retractable design which makes it easy for operators to secure the device
quickly. All these buses also comprise of a lap belt to protect the passenger.
Wheelchair Accessible Vans:
Apart from public transportation,
provision for private vehicles is also highly developed in San Mateo County.
There are several operators that offer wheelchair accessible vans that easily
accommodate mobility vehicles, the patient and his/her traveling companions.
These vehicles come with a personal attendant that watches over the health of
the patient during travel. They are also equipped with ramps or lifts
that can be utilized by people who make use of mobility devices or are not able
to climb steps.
These companies are completely
insured and licensed with state-of-the-art wheelchair transport vehicles and
attentive drivers who have been trained in the special requirements. They are
well aware of the areas they serve and can find the smoothest and shortest
routes to any place the transportation is required. Senior citizens, people
with disabilities can ride these vans at a discount if they talk to the
company. Most of these businesses also offer online reservation. All the
customer needs to do is visit the company’s website and book a van of his/her
choice.
People living with disability are
benefitted heavily from wheelchair transportation as it offers increased
independence – whether they want to go shopping, work or want to socialize. The
best way to find out about these services is to use the internet. The World
Wide Web will list a variety of local companies within the county that provide this
facility. Patients can filter out the company that best suits their needs and
budget. Better Business Bureau is one of the best websites to find out about
the reputation of the owner. Almost all good companies are listed at the BBB.
Comments
Post a Comment