Handitran, the paratransit service for the City of Arlington, Texas, has issued a contract to purchase ten fully-accessible Spirit of Independence buses from ARBOC Specialty Vehicles.

With over 30 years of history, Handitran maintains an ADA-compliant fleet made up of 20 body-on-chassis buses. The Independence vehicles purchased from ARBOC will replace ten aged, standard-floor buses within the fleet, serving in Handitran’s demand-response service, a transit service used primarily by elderly and disabled patrons.

“We are proud of the service we deliver to our customers and are always looking for innovative ways to provide as many safe, comfortable and enjoyable trip experiences as possible for all our clientele,” said Alex Radke, Transit Operations Supervisor, City of Arlington.

According to Radke, Handitran had been looking for ways to reduce its footprint on the roads and allow a more nimble approach to travel and passenger delivery in its city through the use of a ramp versus a wheelchair lift.

"ARBOC estimates it takes around 25 percent less time to board a low-floor ARBOC bus than a standard-floor bus using a wheelchair lift," said Don Roberts, president, ARBOC Specialty Vehicles.