Proposal requires highway buses to be wheelchair accessible

March 20, 1998
Web posted at: 10:04 p.m. EDT (2204 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Transportation plans to require highway buses to be equipped with wheelchair lifts and on-board locking areas for the chairs by 2012.

Under a proposal unveiled Friday, which won't become final until after a public comment period, 50 percent of buses on the road would be required to be equipped to handle wheelchairs by 2006, the remainder by 2012. All new buses would be required to be wheelchair accessible.

Operators of small bus lines with less than $5 million dollars in revenue would be exempt. Charter bus operators would have to equip 10 percent of their fleet with wheelchair lifts and locks.

Transportation officials estimate the cost of making the buses wheelchair accessible to be between $19 and $25 million dollars per year.

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