Treloar’s latest arrival – a new state-of-the-art coach

The sun was shining yesterday to herald the arrival of the new state-of-the-art addition to the Treloar’s fleet – a one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art, life-changing coach!

Until now if a class has wanted to go on a field trip, or practice their community skills in a local town, as many as three minibuses would be needed to transport 6 students in their wheelchairs, together with the necessary specialist equipment and support staff for their trip. This means that space is used on the minibuses very quickly, which is obviously a drain on the fleet resources for other classes and sometimes students were unfortunately missing out on important trips.

The new coach will make these situations a thing of the past. It is specially adapted to accommodate 11 electric wheelchairs, an additional 15 seats for teachers and support staff and ample undercarriage storage space for vital equipment. It caters for the needs of all the students with sensory lighting, hearing aid loops and Wi-Fi. The final design has central double doors with an internal lift, which is more beneficial for the students as they can be lifted in/out with dignity. There is also space to allow for a carer to be with them on the lift platform. There is a nurse-call button at each of the 11 wheelchair spaces. In the words of one student: “I’m so excited! We’ll be able to go on the bus all together – I’ll be able to travel with my friends.”