Middlebury, Indiana, USA – January 7, 2019: (TSX: NFI) ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC (“ARBOC”), a U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (“NFI”), the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer in North America, today announced that the Handitran (“Handitran”) of the City of Arlington, Texas has issued a contract to purchase ten fully-accessible Spirit of Independence (“Independence”) buses from ARBOC Specialty Vehicles.
With over 30 years of history, Handitran maintains an ADA-compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act) fleet made up of 20 body-on-chassis (“cutaway”) 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. “ARBOC offered us the opportunity to extend that safety and comfort to our customers, while potentially offering more availability due to the agility offered by this vehicle.”
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. Radke was pleased with the Independence due to the use of a ramp versus a wheelchair lift.
“We are proud to support Handitran City of Arlington in increasing passenger accessibility in its city,” said Don Roberts, President, ARBOC Specialty Vehicles. “The evolution of the low-floor cutaway has led to increased efficiency and accessibility throughout North America. 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. We commend Handitran on its commitment to providing this option to its riders.”
ARBOC has been innovating accessible transit for North Americans since 2008. The company estimates that nearly 70% of North America’s low-floor cutaway buses are manufactured by ARBOC.