As arranged by the Transport Department, members of Working Group on Access to Public Transport by People with Disabilities using public transportation visited the Mellor Orion new model low-floor minibus on 18 November 2022, at the South Tower of the West Kowloon Government Offices. Project Officer Wilson Lau Kwok Lam and member Kitty Chow Kit Yee represented the RAHK.

The Mellor Orion new model low-floor minibus has 17 regular seats and 1 wheelchair space, totalling 18 seats. This minibus does not have a lift platform but has a floor height of 270 millimetres above the ground, with a ramp capable of bearing 350 kilograms. It is set to officially operate in the market within the year, passing through the Children’s Hospital.

During the trial of the new model low-floor minibus, RAHK immediately provided feedback to the Transport Department and the manufacturer, highlighting issues such as wheelchair proximity to backrests, low positions of safety belts, short folding armrests, and narrow passageways from boarding to the wheelchair space. Beyond these comments, RAHK believes that the wheelchair space is sufficient, the doors are wide, the ramp slope is gentle, making it easy for wheelchair users to embark and disembark.

RAHK hopes to see more low-floor minibuses that facilitate wheelchair boarding and alighting introduced in Hong Kong or produced locally to expedite the widespread use of low-floor minibuses, making travel more convenient for individuals with disabilities.