I am writing on behalf of OATS, Inc., a not-for-profit transportation provider serving 87 counties in the state of Missouri.
One of the biggest challenges faced by many transit providers such as OATS is the safe securement of passengers in mobility devices. Section T403.1 addresses this by defining what securement devices should be installed on the vehicles. The issue we face isn’t with the securement devices themselves but the types of mobility devices we must try to secure. Our drivers come across so many different types of mobility aids that are simply not designed to be safely transported. We have to take the securement system that is installed on the vehicle then, by using Q-straps and other devices, make the system fit the mobility device.
It would greatly improve the safety of people who rely on public transit if wheelchair and other mobility aid manufacturers were required to have standardized securement points built in to all their products which would allow a four point tie down system to be used.
Thank you for your consideration.
Dorothy Yeager, Assistant Executive Director
OATS, Inc.
2501 Maguire Blvd., Ste. 101
Columbia, MO 65201