All posts by Quingo Scooters

Public Transport

Taking your Quingo on a ferry

In the fourth of a series of articles about taking your scooter on different forms of transport, the Quingo team today want to talk about taking your Quingo on a ferry.

Traveling the sea with your Quingo

At Quingo, accessibility and mobility are major concerns of ours, which is why we’d like to discuss the practicalities of taking your Quingo 5 wheel scooter across the sea.

In the past it was often difficult for those with limited mobility to travel by ship or ferry, but newer and more modern boats have started to make journeys much more accessible.

The rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterway are spelt out by EU Regulation 1177/2010, which was introduced in December 2012. The regulation states that ships and ferries are obliged to carry any disabled person that wishes to travel on them, as long as it’s safe to do so.

Furthermore, the European regulation stipulates that assistance must be provided for free, including any help with boarding and accessible information. These rules apply to all services with the exception of sight-seeing tours and very short-distance ferries.

What to consider?

There are no specific regulations regarding taking mobility scooters on ferries, as such not all ferry companies necessarily have the same polices regarding mobility scooter users.

Here are a few points of consideration for taking your mobility scooter across the sea:

  • Quingo suggest that you contact the individual ferry company well in advance to check their procedures, as well as any size and weight requirements.
  • Often, ferry companies will insist that a disabled passenger be accompanied by an able bodied companion when aboard the ferry, depending on the nature of the disability. One reason for this is that in the event of rough seas, some passengers may encounter difficulties. If you’re planning to take the journey alone you should discuss this with the ferry company first.
  • On most ferries disabled cabins are available, but it’s advisable to book these early as there are only a limited number of cabins suitable for disabled travellers.
  • Cabins for the disabled and those with limited mobility are usually placed with better access to all public areas and lifts – particularly on more modern ships. They’re designed with wider doorways, hand bars, low level controls, low door peep holes and specially designed spacious bathrooms.
  • Disabled Motoring UK offers concessions to its members with selected ferry companies on specific routes. You should check with individual ferry companies to see if they offer any discounts for blue-badge holders.

Have you been anywhere interesting on your Quingo?

If you’ve been anywhere interesting on your Quingo for your holidays and travels then we’d love to hear from you about your experiences.  You can email your pictures and comments to [email protected] and we’ll put them up on our blog.

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Silver Travel Awards reminder – All Quingo users are invited to vote…

As the closing date approaches, the Quingo team want to remind you to vote for the “Best Limited Mobility/Accessible Travel Provider” award at the forthcoming Silver Travel awards, sponsored by Quingo.

Silver Travel Awards

The Silver Travel Awards, in conjunction with Silver Travel Advisor, celebrate businesses and attractions that go the extra mile to meet the needs of the mature travel market.

The awards ceremony will take place on the 4th June 2015 at the Natural History Museum in London and the awards will be announced and presented by former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond.

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Improving accessibility

Quingo scooters are sponsoring the award for Best Limited Mobility/Accessible Travel Provider to help highlight and recognise the good work that companies and attractions do to make their facilities accessible for all and so that everybody can enjoy what they have to offer.

The more light we can shed on the need for accessible attractions, companies and destinations, the more there will be.

How to vote

Is there an attraction which has gone the extra mile to meet your needs, a hotel or B&B where you’ve had a very enjoyable or special experience, or an airline or rental car company which you would like to recommend to people? If so then now is the time to cast your vote for those who have made your experience special.

You can vote on the Silver Travel Advisor website. Just click on the ‘vote now’ button and fill in the online form. You can fill in as few or as many categories as you want, but the fields marked with a ‘*’ need to be filled in to vote.

Hurry the closing date is on the 31st March!

Maintenance

Getting the most out of your battery

The Quingo team want to make sure you know how to get the most out of your scooter’s battery and make it last as long as possible when you are out and about.

What is the maximum range of my Quingo?

Quingo scooters are designed to meet the needs of our users, so our scooters last as long as possible when on the go. The size of your model will affect the maximum range. This is because bigger models such as the Toura and the Vitess have a larger batteries.

See below for the maximum range of the Quingo scooter models:

Model Range
Quingo Compact Up to 8 miles
Quingo Air Up to 10 miles
Quingo Classic Up to 23 miles
Quingo Plus Up to 30 miles
Quingo Vitess Up to 30 miles
Quingo Toura Up to 55 miles
Quingo Flyte Up to 23 miles

 

What can affect the range of your Quingo?

The maximum range of your Quingo can be affected by a number of things, so to get the most of your battery it’s worth bearing in mind the following factors that will affect the range of your Quingo scooter:

  • Incorrect charging – make sure you fully charge your battery after use. Part charging will eventually damage the battery and reduce the range of your Quingo.
  • Cold weather – your battery’s performance will decrease as the temperature drops. So make sure you fully charge your scooter before you go out, particularly during the winter months.

Quingo Scooters

  • Low tyre pressure – if you are experiencing low range with your scooter, low tyre pressure could be the reason. Tyre pressures should always be kept correct to get the most from your battery. See below for a list of recommended tyre pressures:
Model Tyre Pressure
Quingo Compact N/A
Quingo Air 30psi 2.1 bar
Quingo Classic 30psi 2.1 bar
Quingo Plus 30psi 2.1 bar
Quingo Vitess 30psi 2.1 bar
Quingo Toura 30psi 2.1 bar

 

  • Worn batteries – as your battery gets older, the range of your scooter will decrease.
  • Weight – the more weight carried on the vehicle the lower the range will be. This is particularly useful to know if you are planning on shopping for some heavy items before going on a long journey.
  • Terrain – taking your Quingo up steep slopes will make your scooter work harder, this will reduce the range. Another thing that will affect your Quingo’s range is the type of ground. If you use your vehicle on grass, shingle or generally soft ground the power consumption will double. This means the range of your scooter could decrease by up to 50%.
  • Accessories – any accessories that require battery power (for example the heated handle grips) will reduce the range of your Quingo, so plan your journey accordingly if you are using these accessories.
Quingo Scooters
Heated Handle Grips

 

The above points are things to bear in mind, particularly if you are taking your Quingo on long journeys. If you have any questions about your Quingo please fill in the enquiry form, or to book a scooter service please call our customer service number on 01582 430 900. We’ve also written a useful guide to battery care to provide some extra information to make sure you get the most out of your Quingo.

Attractions

Taking your Quingo to a National Trust Property

We always encourage our Quingo scooter users to get out and about on their 5 wheel scooters, and in this blogpost we’ll take a look at accessibility in some of UK’s favourite historical properties.

The National Trust is an organisation committed to developing and promoting  access solutions in their properties. We know our customers enjoy visiting National Trust sites, so we’ve provided some information about accessibility in National Trust properties, and what you should check before you travel.

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Basic Access at National Trust Properties

Wherever possible the Trust admits scooter users into their historic buildings. This is subject to any physical limitations of the building and any temporary constraints enforced on the day. It’s also worth noting that all National Trust properties have adapted WC’s for disabled visitors.

While most National Trust properties have a good degree of access we would always recommend that you telephone the individual site to check any accessibility issues before you go. For more information on basic access at National Trust properties, visit the Trust website.

Things to Check before Travelling

Below are list of things to check with the individual property before you travel:

  • Access to property – naturally some National Trust properties are very old, this means they might have certain areas which have very restricted. Fortunately your Quingo has a very good turning circle, but it may be wise to check to see if any areas are just not suitable for any mobility scooter to avoid being disappointed when you get there. Accessible ramps and lifts are installed in many properties but not all. This may affect your route around the property, so it is best to check with the specific site before you go. If you’re unsure about the size of your scooter you can check the specification sheet that came with your scooter or see our handy dimensions chart below.
  Quingo Compact Quingo Air Quingo Classic Quingo Plus Quingo Vitess Quingo Toura
Length 100 cm (103 cm with basket) 39.4 inches (40.6” with basket 107 cm (124.5 cm with basket) 42” (49” with basket) 122 cm 48 inches 122 cm 48 inches 127 cm (139 cm with basket) 50” (55” with basket) 139 cm (150 cm with basket) 54” (59” with basket)
Width 54 cm 21.3 inches 56 cm 22 inches 64 cm 25 inches 64 cm 25 inches 62 cm 24.4 inches 67 cm 26.4 inches
Total Unladen Weight 55.5 kilograms 122.4 pounds 56.5 kilograms 124.5 pounds 100 kilograms 220 pounds 103 kilograms 227 pounds 116 kilograms 256 pounds 163.9 kilograms 361.3 pounds


  • Toilets – The National Trust say that all sites have adapted WC’s for disabled users so this shouldn’t be a problem. If you have a larger class 3 scooter such as the Quingo Plus, Quingo Vitess or the Quingo Toura, we’d advise you to check with the individual site that the WC can accommodate you.
  • Unstable surfaces – the site you are visiting may have areas of gravel or mud. We’d recommend that you don’t drive your scooter on rough, unpaved ground or soft mud. You may need to find out where these areas around the site are, and plan your route around the grounds accordingly.
  • Access to Tea Rooms – once you’ve spent your day enjoying the grounds, you may want some time to relax and enjoy the refreshments on offer. It’s best to find out if the tea rooms have accessibility ramps or lifts for your scooter. Quingo 5 Wheel scooters offer a superior turning circle and unequalled agility compared to 4 wheel scooters, so rest assured that navigating the tea room should be no problem at all.
  • Steep slopes – some grounds may feature very steep inclines. If possible, you should try to navigate around these if they are beyond the recommended limit for your particular model.
  • Car parking – most National Trust sites have disabled parking for users with a disabled parking badge. Users should also check that the pavements from the car park to the property are paved and scooter friendly.

We want to hear from you

The Quingo team love to hear about new and exciting places our users have been, if you want to share your National Trust story and send some photos please send them to [email protected] and we can post them on our blog.

If you have any points we think we have missed – please let us know by completing the enquiry form so we can make sure Quingo scooter users are as informed as possible.

News

Quingo scooter user interviewed by the BBC sets up campaign group

The Quingo team were excited to hear a story on the BBC this week about David Bachini, a Quingo scooter user from Luton.

What’s the story?

According to the BBC, around 80,000 mobility scooters are sold every year in the UK, and the fact that this number is increasing means that the issue of vehicles blocking pavements is a problem that’s recently drawn greater attention in the media.

Police say it’s the responsibility of councils to deal with vehicles that are parked on the pavement, and that parking on the pavement is only illegal if there’s a ‘dangerous obstruction on the public highway.’

However, the problem of having to navigate around parked cars has clearly become a nuisance to Mr Bachini.

Disabled Against Drivers Parking On Pavements

Mr Bachini, 73, has set up a campaign group called DAD POP. It stands for Disabled Against Drivers Parking On Pavements – and it currently has over one hundred members.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Bachini said:  “Mobility scooter users that go out for an afternoon ride are often inconvenienced in such a way that their own lives are put in danger and they have to use the road, which shouldn’t be allowed.”

Class 3 scooters that can travel up to 8mph are designed for road travel, though they can drive on pavements too at reduced speeds. Class 2 scooters have a maximum speed of 4pm and are intended primarily for pavement use.

New legislation?

The Highway Code has a section of rules for powered wheelchairs and mobility scooter users, which refers to the difference between Class 2 and Class 3 scooters.  The rules outline the different considerations for travelling on the pavement and travelling on the road.

There is no current legislation in place to deal specifically with the issue highlighted by Mr Bachini. That’s why Mr Bachini is calling on the government to change the law to give the authorities the power to remove vehicles parked on the pavement.

Safety is our priority

The Quingo team prioritise your safety and comfort above everything else. We work and comply with the Department for Transport’s Code of Practice; we want you to get the most out of your Quingo 5 wheel scooter by regaining mobility without compromising your well-being.

Quingo Scooters

Our friendly staff will always carry out a comprehensive assessment on each of our customers to ensure that they are eligible to travel safely on their scooter. We only want you to enjoy the benefits of Quingo if you’re safe and able to do so.

The Blue Diamond Driver Check is a free Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) compliant safety assessment that illustrates you meet the required standards. It entitles you to display the Blue Diamond badge on your Quingo, signalling to those around you that you’re both safe and able.