Low Floor Buses Make Travelling Easier For Everyone
Saskatoon Transit Services introduced Low-Floor Services in 1996 to improve access to our service for all customers, including those with canes, crutches, walkers, young children, or burdensome packages. Our Gold Leaf (acronym for Low Easy Access Floor) Service allows many more people with reduced mobility the freedom and independence of using public transit services.
In addition, our Low-Floor buses are able to provide service for up to two passengers at a time who use mobility devices such as a wheelchair or scooter.
We've dedicated these buses to certain regular routes in the city where potential demand for accessibility features are the greatest.
What's Different About a Low-Floor Bus?
The main difference with a Low-Floor bus is that there a no steps to go up or down at the front and rear doors. The floor between the front and rear doors is just 14 inches above the ground.
The front entrance is also equipped with a "kneeling" feature which, upon request, further lowers the front step to about 10 inches from the ground or about 4 inches form a curb. In addition, the bus is equipped with a driver-controlled retractable fold-out ramp, which when folded out to the curb makes for a virtually flat entrance into the bus.
Take a close look at our Low-Floor buses… they'll change the way you think about public transit!
Boarding, Securement, and Exiting
To help keep the buses on schedule, it is important that boarding, securing, and exiting the bus be completed as quickly as possible. The "courtesy seating" area at the front of the bus for persons with reduced mobility including seniors, or those using a wheelchair or scooter, is available on a first come first serve basis.
Each Low-Floor bus can accommodate up to two persons in wheelchairs/scooters through the use of "flip-seats" at the front of the bus. Each wheelchair/scooter position requires two bench seats to be moved up and out of the way.
If the bus is full, or is already carrying two customers who use a wheelchair or scooter, the Operator may not be able to pick up another customer using a wheelchair or a scooter. Many buses are full during high demand periods such as the morning or afternoon rush hours, so you may want to avoid these travel periods.
Important: Passengers using a wheelchair or scooter on designated Low-Floor bus routes are required to board independently and position their mobility device inside the bus, or bring an attendant to assist them. The securement belt system provided on the bus is mandatory and Transit drivers will assist with attaching and removing the securement system. For safety reasons, service will be denied if the securement belts are refused.
While Transit Operators are required to provide assistance with attaching and removing the securement belt system provided on the bus, persons with disabilities who cannot independently board the bus, approach the seating area, position their mobility device, exit the bus, or require personalized care during their trip, must be accompanied by an attendant who will assume these responsibilities during your trip. Operators are not required to assist with these functions. Your regular bus fare covers both you and your attendant.
Due to vehicle design constraints, the maximum total size of a wheelchair or scooter that can be accommodated on a Low-Floor bus is 28 inches wide, by 48 inches long (including all attachments).
When boarding with a wheelchair or scooter, keep back at least 5 feet away from the front doors to open, and the ramp to be extended out from the bus. If you are not able to deposit your own fare into the farebox, please have the fare available in a bag or envelope accessible and visible to the Operator. Your Operator will then deposit the fare for you.
With the wheelchair/scooter in a forward facing position, the securement system must be fastened. Operators will assist with frame belts (coloured red) on either side of the wheelchair which attach to the wheelchair frame, and a lap belt (coloured black) is provided if your wheelchair/scooter doesn't have one. Power to electric wheelchairs/scooters must be turned off, and wheel chair brakes must be applied.
Boarding Low-Floor buses with strollers is easy, but once on the bus it is safer for children to be removed from the stroller and the stroller stored in between seats out of the aisle. Persons using crutches, walkers, or other mobility aides are also requested to fold or stow the aid in a safe place out of the way of other customers.
When exiting, please use the rear door when there are other passengers waiting to board the bus. For those using a wheelchair or scooter, the Operator will assist with the removal of the securement system and where necessary deploy the kneeling feature and/or the ramp for exiting through the front doors.
Customers travelling in a wheelchair or scooter will notice a yellow touch strip on the edge of the flip-seats. When this strip is pushed, the chime will ring twice to indicate to the Operator that a person in a wheelchair/scooter wishes to exit.
Following these procedures will make using our services safe and convenient, and assist us in providing reliable, high quality service for all our customers.