The Lilliane Brady Village retirement home residents and staff are ready to hit the road following the delivery of their new bus last week.
The new Toyota Hiace 10 seater bus, which is part of Cobar Shire Council’s fleet of vehicles, was personally delivered to the Village last Thursday with Mayor Jarrod Marsden at the wheel, Cr Lillian Simpson in the passenger seat and general manager Peter Vlatko riding in the back.
Council’s Director of Corporate and Community Services Kylie Smith was also present for the handover and said it had been a very long process from the time they ordered the bus until it arrived last week.
She said it had taken months for the bus to arrive in Australia and for the modifications to be carried out but is confident it will meet the current needs of the Village’s residents.
The new bus has a side ramp, a rear ramp and wheelchair anchor points, which can support all types of wheelchairs.
All will make for easier access for residents.
The bus can accommodate two wheelchairs at one time along with two passengers and two more sitting up front, or eight passengers with all the seats down and two more sitting up front.
“It is a more flexible design to enable more frequent use meeting the needs of individual residents,” Ms Smith said.
She said the driver only needs to have a Class C driver’s licence meaning that staff will be able to drive the bus.
This will enable the new bus to be used more frequently, including spontaneous trips and outings.
The new bus was a welcome surprise for the residents and most of staff when it got delivered on Thursday afternoon and they were keen to have a look through.
Residents and staff will now be invited to put forward their ideas to create a design to wrap the vehicle and make it distinctive.
“While the old bus was most appreciated and has served us well, it was time to refresh,” Ms Smith said.
“Council will not forget the efforts or fundraising provided by the community for the original bus service to be available at the village and the support of our bus driving team.
“We really hope it will be regularly used to support all Village operations, providing improved experiences for residents and their families,” Ms Smith said.
