Scoota Safe Campaign

We also identified the necessity for: 

• Greater awareness of users health requirements 

• Practical training for users of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs, including safe manoeuvring in restricted space (pedestrianised areas, shops, buses, taxis and minibuses) 

• Tips on general maintenance. 

After discussions with Warrington Borough Council and Warrington’s Own Buses we developed the Scoota-Safe Campaign. 

The Scoota-Safe Campaign 

Through Scoota-Safe we aim to meet all of the needs identified above by offering informal training and access to our specially designed mobility training track. The training or will include: 

• Background to safe use of mobility scooter powered wheelchair, 

• General maintenance. 

Our mobility training track provides experience of different surfaces, manoeuvring in tight spaces and reversing. 

Training subject to availability of our trained staff.   

Bus Travel 

Recent years have seen a huge rise in people using mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs to get around. However, in Warrington, as in many towns and cities across the UK, there was uncertainty about whether mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs were permitted to board a bus. This is due to the wide variety of sizes and designs of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs, and the different sizes of the space available within buses. In reality some mobility scooter and powered wheelchairs users had been using buses – but faced uncertainty every time they travelled as to whether they would be allowed on or not, or if their vehicle would fit onto the bus. 

Warrington Disability Partnerships “Scoota-Safe Campaign” is aimed to make things clearer. Scooter and powered wheelchairs users will now be able to call WDP’s Scoota-Safe Team who will ask a series of questions to check that the scooter and powered wheelchair is suited to bus travel. WDP’s staff have identified a number of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs that can fit into the wheelchair space on Warrington’s Own Buses vehicles. If deemed suitable, free training will be offered, and a Scoota-Safe card and wallet, and a Scoota-Safe sticker for their vehicle will be issued once a number of assurances have been agreed. The card, wallet and scooter sticker aim to inform bus drivers that the scooter and powered wheelchair can fit into the spaceand the driver has the ability to board and alight from the bus safely. 

Scooters and powered wheelchairs will be permitted on buses if they are Class 2 vehicles (i.e. boot scooters or and powered wheelchairs not for road use, with an upper speed limit of 4mph) and it has the following dimensions: 

• Maximum width: 600mm 

• Maximum length: 1000mm 

• Maximum turning radius: 1200mm 

The Scoota-Safe scheme may also be used by people with manual wheelchairs, mobility walkers or shopping trolleys, where these are used as a mobility aid. 

Warrington’s Own Buses have actively supported the development of this new scheme which will give the thousands of local people who rely on mobility aids much more freedom to travel around Warrington and the surrounding area.  

WDP will be working with Warrington’s Own Buses to ensure all drivers will receive the correct training and communication associated with the scheme. We operate an open referral system; participants can apply independently or via family and friends. 

Members of WDPs team were involved in designing the disability specifications of Warrington’s Own Buses new all electric fleet and their new bus station.