Method
In the experimental study subjects with different kinds
and degrees of mobility impairment had to get into and
out of a mock-up car in the laboratory. The mock-up
was a modified car-body where the right front entrance,
to the passenger seat, could be altered by changes to
the width and height, and the sill height. The location
of the seat and the angle to which the door opens, could
also be varied (Table 2). Different support handles
were placed on the dashboard, door just beneath the
window, front door-post at the same height as the
windscreen and on the roof just inside the door frame
(Figure I). The floor height of the mock-up was
300 mm above the ground and the seat height was
540 mm above the ground. Both of these were normal
values for ordinary taxi cars. All the trials were made
from street level. This is a common case in the special
transportation service, as the travellers are transported
to and from residential and other areas very close to the
entrances of buildings.
The performance of selected subjects with different
mobility impairments was analysed. The number of
subjects was 17, of which six were wheelchair users and
11 ambulant disabled. All of the subjects were entitled
to travel with the special transportation service and
were used to travel by taxi.