Wheelchair Adjustment for ESHOT Buses

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality ESHOT General Directorate doubled its wheelchair passenger capacity with the renovations it made on buses. Especially disabled citizens who are couples or friends will be able to travel together on the same bus from now on.

Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç SoyerWithin the framework of the "Accessible İzmir" vision and the "100% Accessible City" target of . Izmir Metropolitan Municipality ESHOT General Directorate increased the capacity of wheelchair passengers by making seat modifications on suitable buses. 50 solo buses, whose renovations were completed in the first stage, started to serve especially on the heavily used lines.

Travel beauty together

ESHOT General Manager Erhan Bey expressed that they are happy to fulfill one of the biggest demands of disabled citizens, and said: “Couples with disabilities, friends, could not find the opportunity to travel together in our solo buses. Because these vehicles could carry a wheelchair passenger. We have started to offer the service of our disabled citizens by modifying our suitable buses. The number of vehicles that two wheelchair passengers can board together will soon reach 292.”

Made with ESHOT facilities

Ersel Çetin, ESHOT General Directorate Bodywork and Autopainting Branch Manager, gave the following information about the technical details of the study: “We are removing two seats and relocating a single seat in suitable vehicles in our fleet. Approvals are obtained from the relevant authorities in terms of safety and comfort, and our vehicles are re-licensed and made suitable for traffic. We carry out all the renovation works with the possibilities of our workshop and with our own staff.”

“We are much better than before”

Saliha Yılmaz, one of the disabled citizens who benefit from the service, said, “It has been very good for us. Two friends could not get on the buses at the same time. Recently, there have been many studies on disabled access. We are very pleased. We are much better than before,” she said.

“It was a big handicap for us”

While Bayram Kocak, who is in a wheelchair, expressed his satisfaction; He continued as follows: “Our municipality is doing good things to make our lives easier. It was a huge handicap for us that two people could not get into the vehicle. We have married friends. They could not travel together. This situation is over. Of course we have other shortcomings. Over time, these will also be resolved. We sometimes travel to other cities. İzmir is a livable city in terms of disability. We think he is in a better position. We thank those who contributed.”