Nissan SA ushers in wheelchair-friendly taxis

Access to vital transport

The company has developed a full conversion of its NV350 Impendulo, transforming the vehicle into a spacious carrier suitable for disabled passengers including hydraulic lift, rear-facing seating and aluminium flooring which helps to keep wheelchairs in position. The converted Impendulo, released in August, is attracting interest from several sectors, including in the Eastern Cape where the vehicle has already been deployed within regional health departments.

“There is a definite need for more public transport facilities that cater for people living with physical disabilities,” says Wonga Mesatywa, director corporate and general affairs at Nissan Group of Africa.

With taxis transporting approximately 15 million commuters daily, according to the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), and approximately 7.5% of the country’s population regarded as having a disability, many disabled people remain unable to access this vital mode of transport. They are therefore excluded from gaining meaningful employment or education opportunities, and participating in the economy.

While Government and the Department of Transport are focusing on improving public transport for people with disabilities, through the Public Transport Strategy and Action Plan of 2007, minibus taxis and buses remain ill-equipped to transport people living with physical disabilities.

Useful modifications

Unlike most other minibus vehicles, the interior seating in the Nissan NV350 Impendulo can be removed, and a portion of it adapted to be rearward facing so wheelchairs can fit comfortably inside the vehicle. This is also removable, thereby allowing for versatile use. Aluminium flooring in the rear passenger section of the vehicle also keeps wheelchairs safely in place while it is in use. The conversion makes maximum use of the available space within the vehicle.

A useful modification to the vehicle is the hydraulic lift which allows for people in wheelchairs to have easy access through the rear door. The fact that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) mass ratings on the Impendulo are class leading, makes it an ideal platform for this type of conversion because it minimises the chances of overloading.

The converted vehicle has achieved homologation, meaning it meets regulatory standards and specifications, such as safety and technical requirements. In addition to providing safe transport for physically disabled members of society, the conversion is also ideal for a variety of applications including hotel fleets, inter-hospital transportation and frail care.

“As a developing country, the position and status of disabled people in society has traditionally been one of exclusion. Unfortunately many people living with disabilities in South Africa have been excluded from mainstream society and therefore prevented from accessing fundamental social, political and economic rights due to a variety of different factors. Lack of access to adequate transport shouldn’t be one of them,” Mesatywa concludes.