Tag Archives: mobility

Wellbeing

Mobility Scooters and the Highway Code – Part 1

Our customers’ safety and welfare is our main priority. In the first blog post of two parts, the Quingo team want to look at the Highway Code and what it has to say surrounding mobility scooters.

What is the Highway Code?

The Highway Code is a compendium of advice, information, guides and mandatory rules for all road users in the UK. Its main purpose is to promote safety on the roads.

The Highway Code applies to pedestrians, animals, cyclists, motorcycles, drivers and mobility scooter users. It’s prepared and updated by the Department for Transport and the Driving Standards Agency.

First published in 1931 as an 18-page booklet, the Highway Code has been regularly updated ever since to reflect the changing nature of Britain’s roads.

The difference between Class 2 and Class 3 vehicles

The Highway Code places mobility scooters into two separate categories: Class 2 and Class 3. Class 2 vehicles can’t go any faster than 4mph and are designed to be used on pavements.

Examples of Class 2 vehicles include the Quingo Classic, the Quingo Flyte, the Quingo Compact and the Quingo Air. Class 2 users should always use the pavement where it’s available. Where there is no pavement, due caution should always be taken.

Class 3 vehicles include the Quingo Plus, the Quingo Vitess and the Quingo Toura. These scooters have a maximum speed of 8mph and are equipped to be used on the road as well as the pavement. This topic is also included in the FAQs section of this website.

Mobility scooters and the Highway Code: Driving on pavements

When driving your scooter, you should be aware that pavements are safer than roads and they should be used when available. The Highway Code also observes that you should give pedestrians priority and show consideration of other pavement users.

Quingo Scooters
A Quingo scooter user on the pavement

If your Quingo 5 wheel scooter can go faster than 4mph, it’s important to remember that you mustn’t go any faster than this speed in pedestrian areas or on pavements. You might have to reduce your speed to adjust to other pavement users who might not be able to get out of your way quickly enough, or in situations where the pavement’s too narrow.

Special care should be taken when moving off the pavement onto to road. You should always look around and make sure it’s safe to join the traffic. When driving back onto the pavement, you shouldn’t try and negotiate a kerb that’s higher than the specifications outlined in your Quingo’s individual handbook & service manual.

Safety and mobility

Your safety when driving your Quingo is our main priority. That’s why we recommend to all of our customers to regularly refer to the Highway Code – the number one resource for road safety.

Keep a lookout for our next blog post in which we’ll be talking about what you need to consider when driving your Quingo on the roads.

News

Companies promise to act after BBC’s disabled access exposé

The Quingo team recently read that some large UK firms have undertaken urgent measures to improve their services for people with disabilities. The news follows a BBC London investigation that exposed several failures in this area.

Taking measures to improve accessibility

As part of the investigation, a blind person and a wheelchair user wore secret cameras to document cafes without ramps, minicab drivers that refused to accept guide dogs and train station staff not present when assistance was required. More than 100 restaurants are now being audited for their accessibility. The news comes after the government ordered the companies to explain their failings.

Quingo Scooters

Last autumn, researchers from the BBC found unusable tables or inadequate or missing ramps at branches of Costa Coffee, Itsu, Eat, Chipotle, Caffé Nero, Caffé Concerto and the Post Office.

Mark Harper MP, Minister for Disabled People, singled out the response from restaurant chain Eat as being particularly worthy of praise. The chain has put in place new training and all of its 113 UK stores have been audited to ensure they’re accessible.

What action has been taken?

Sarah Doyle, Eat’s brand director, said: “We were mortified. Therefore when we saw that footage we took it very seriously and undertook to investigate. We’ve asked all our shop teams to check the equipment is there and we have put in place replacement equipment if it was required.”

Itsu acknowledged improvements to staff training and accessibility needed to be made. They said that an external accessibility firm would be employed to ensure that the necessary changes were put in place to cater for a wider range of customers including mobility scooter users.

Caffé Concerto said that it was changing some of its branches having realised that they weren’t sufficiently accessible, whilst Costa Coffee said that the ramp problems highlighted by the BBC’s investigation have been fixed.

Finding adequate solutions

Southeastern Rail also expressed concern with the issues uncovered by the BBC, saying that the relevant station managers had been informed of the need for change.

Organisations are obliged by law to take all necessary steps so as to comply with the Equality Act. As a result of this investigation, it seems that tangible progress is being made.

These positive changes will no doubt be welcomed by Quingo Scooter users. Large companies in particular should have the resources and budget to ensure their stores are sufficiently accessible.

What we can expect in the future

At Quingo, mobility and accessibility are priorities for us. We believe it’s crucially important that those with limited mobility have access to the same services as anyone else. As such, we welcome the efforts taken by many of the companies highlighted in the BBC’s investigation.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

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.

Quingo Scooters

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.

Public Transport

Taking your Quingo on a tram

In the third of a series of articles about taking your Quingo scooter on public transport, today, the Quingo team want to talk about taking your scooter on trams.

Taking your Quingo on the tram

The majority of modern tram services in the UK have developed high levels of access. Much like buses, tram companies are not obliged by law to carry mobility scooters, but some will if they meet specific criteria.

Permit schemes

Currently, of the six tram operators only some carry a permit scheme, so you should always check the specific details with the individual operators. If an operator doesn’t run a permit scheme, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t accept mobility scooters, but it may mean that whether you can take your Quingo on the tram is left to the discretion of the conductor.

In November, the BBC reported on how a mobility scooter ban on Manchester’s Metrolink trams was lifted after a trial. The trial lasted from March to early November and during that time more than eighty permits were issued.  This demonstrates the demand for people with mobility scooters to take their vehicles on public transport.

As of April 2014, all tram companies with permit schemes used the same size restrictions that are used on buses. To find out more about taking your scooter on the bus you can look at our recent blog post, visit the RICA website or contact your local bus company.

Planning your journeys

For service information, you should contact your individual tram operator. All have online and telephone information explaining the details of the fares and assistance offered, in addition to access information.

Specific details about each of the tram operators’ policies is outlined on the RICA website. However, the information is dated from April and we encourage you to contact each tram operator if you’re uncertain about any of the individual details of their policies.

Allows mobility scooters (as of April 2014) Permit Scheme (as of April 2014)
Blackpool (Tramway) Yes Yes
Croydon (Tramlink) Yes No
Manchester (Metrolink) Yes Yes
Midlands (Midland Metro) Yes No
Nottingham (NET) Yes No
Sheffield (Supertram) Yes Yes

 

Get in touch

We want you to have the best possible experience when using your Quingo and hope that you’ve found this blog post to be helpful.

If you’ve been anywhere interesting on your Quingo, we’d love to hear about it. Please send your stories and any photos to [email protected] and we can post them on our blog.

Public Transport

Taking your Quingo on the Train – Part 2

We’ve previously written about taking your Quingo scooter on the train by making use of the Passenger Assistance scheme.

Prefer to plan and book your journey yourself?

It’s not always possible, or desirable to book your journey in advance and you may prefer to organise this yourself. If this applies to you, here are some key points to consider before you start your journey:

  • Your scooter will also need to fit on any ramps used for boarding the train, be within the weight limits prescribed by the individual train company and be able to manoeuvre into the wheelchair space. This won’t be a problem with your Quingo scooter – the 5 wheel configuration offers unequalled agility and allows for tighter turning in confined spaces.
  • Some companies run permit schemes for mobility scooters. If you apply for one, you’ll be asked for details about the dimensions and other features of your scooter so that the train company can assess whether or not it’s acceptable. You will need one permit per scooter.

Finding out more

The Disability Aboard website, run by the Association of Train Operators (ATOC) has a handy list of travel tips, including things like how to avoid the barriers at stations and how accessible the station is. This can help with planning how to get in and around the station.

If you are unsure whether your Quingo meets the criteria, or if you have any other train travel queries, we recommend contacting National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50. They will be able to provide you with up to date travel and accessibility information.

Where have you been?

Have you been anywhere exciting on your Quingo? If you have, we want to hear about it, send your stories and any photos to [email protected] and we can post them on our blog.

Quingo Scooters
We want you to get out and about on your Quingo

If you have any questions about your Quingo, please complete the enquiry form and one of our friendly and knowledgeable team will get back to you. Alternatively you can call our customer service line on 01582 430 900.