Q’STRAINT Makes Safety Accessible for the City of Regina

CASE STUDIESDecember 1, 2019

A few years ago the City of Regina entered into a pilot program with Q’STRAINT which involved outfitting nine of their fixed-route buses with both the QUANTUM and Q’POD wheelchair securement systems. In a joint partnership, Q’STRAINT and the City of Regina are making safety accessible for its mobility passenger ridership.

“Having a securement system in fixed-route transit buses that allows people to travel with minimal operator intervention is a great incentive, mainly because of ease-of-use,” said Brad Bells, director of transit and fleet for the City of Regina. “Because people have different preferences, Regina Transit has chosen to use the forward-facing Q’POD and rearward facing QUANTUM to give customers a choice in the way their mobility device is oriented.”

The Transition from Paratransit to Fixed Route

Since the pilot program was initiated, Regina’s mobility passengers have quickly adopted both Q’STRAINT wheelchair securement systems. They appreciate the independence and flexibility that the QUANTUM and Q’POD provide to get them to and from their destination daily.

Many of the former paratransit rider’s call Regina’s fixed-route bus system their new preferred way to travel. This makes perfect sense because now they don’t have to make reservations for the paratransit service and riding the fixed-route system provides them the freedom to decide when they want travel.

Freeing up the Paratransit System

Regina’s paratransit service also benefits from the new Q’STRAINT wheelchair securement systems. The QUANTUM and Q’POD have effectively played an important part in switching many paratransit riders over to the fixed-route system. This dynamic has freed up the paratransit service system to make it more appealing and spacious and able to cater to their existing passengers who depend on it as their only means of transportation.

Increase in Mobility Device Passenger Ridership

Regina Transit has seen mobility passenger ridership on its fixed-route system increase 40% from 32,000 trips in 2016 to 45,000 trips in 2018. This surge in ridership can be attributed to paratransit riders moving to the fixed-route system to use the QUANTUM.

These riders are especially attracted to the QUANTUM’S ability to allow a mobility device passenger to secure themselves with minimal assistance in 25 seconds. Mobility device passengers are also interested in using the Q’POD since it represents the industry’s fastest forward-facing wheelchair securement station.

“It’s very important to the success of the program for riders to easily board and deboard at the same speed as other customers,” said Lynette Griffin, manager of Paratransit and Revenue Services for the City of Regina. “So they can feel like their experience is truly accessible.”

“Because people have different preferences, Regina Transit has chosen to use the forward-facing Q’POD and rearward facing QUANTUM to give customers a choice in the way their mobility device is oriented.”

Positive Feedback

The City of Regina is hearing positive feedback from the mobility device passengers who are now utilizing the new wheelchair securement systems in record proportions on their fixed-route system. They like the fact that they can secure themselves on the QUANTUM virtually on their own and especially enjoy being treated the same as everyone else on the bus since they require minimal assistance from bus drivers to secure themselves.

Keeping Drivers and Riders on Schedule

Regina’s bus operators are strong proponents of the QUANTUM. With the industry’s first automatic and virtually autonomous wheelchair securement station installed on their bus, they are no longer required to leave their seat to help secure mobility device passengers. This, in turn, increases their ability to maintain their schedule times.

Bus drivers are also grateful that they have the Q’POD on their buses. The fully integrated system is not only easy-to-use, but it too lends itself to faster wheelchair securement.

“Regina is a city constantly looking for new ways to improve the transportation system for the community,” said Paul Faucher, Canadian sales manager for Q’STRAINT. “It’s important to the city that transportation is not only readily available, but safe and accessible for all riders.

Faucher adds: “The adoption of the QUANTUM and Q’POD on Regina’s fixed transit routes has been received with open arms from riders with mobility devices. The city has been promoting and will continue to promote the new securement systems to ensure that riders with mobility devices know they have more options.”

Considering the positive feedback and increased fixed-route ridership data, Regina Transit’s investment in making safety accessible has paid huge dividends for many people in their community including mobility device passengers, bus drivers and paratransit operators.