The Shriners of British Columbia and Yukon now have the keys to the 6,000th MCI J4500 motorcoach to roll off the assembly line in Schaumburg, IL. The Shriners will use the new coach to provide medical transport for children. The Shriners Care Cruisers provide transportation at no cost for children with burns, orthopedic issues and spinal-cord injuries to Shriners Hospitals in Portland and Spokane as well as patients to and from Sunny Hill and BC Children’s Hospital. The cruisers also transport pregnant women to the hospital. It is the dominant Shriners hospital transportation program west of the Mississippi, Harrison says, with roughly 3,500 passengers a year and each coach traveling anywhere from 300-550 miles a day six days a week.
“Everyone at MCI has an important role in providing our customers with industry leading, quality coaches,” said Bryan Couch, MCI vice president and general manager of operations. “Achieving this milestone coincides with our J4500 coach ranking as North America’s best-selling intercity coach, a distinction it has enjoyed for seven years running. We take great pride in this accomplishment. We appreciate the trust our customers place in MCI models to transport their passengers in comfort, safety and reliability, and the confidence they have knowing that MCI will continue to innovate and build the coaches best suited to their needs.”
Based in Burnaby, B.C., the Shriners of British Columbia and Yukon operate what is now a fleet of five Shriners Care Cruisers; all MCI models that include three J4500s, an E4500 and a 102C. Its newest MCI J4500 was built to the Shriners’ unique specifications.