In addition to expanding the area of travel for seniors, two of the vehicles used in the Northville Senior Services program have been replaced with vans which seat eight passengers and have wheelchair lifts. A spokesperson noted that the new vehicles resemble mini-buses.
These vans replace two 13-passenger buses. The Senior Services program favors the smaller size as they are easier to drive around the community, which is where most of the trips transpire, and they are less costly to operate and maintain, officials explained.
Northville Parks and Recreation, which operates Senior Services, now has a fleet of six vehicles, including two vans, two 13-passenger buses and two larger buses (21 and 24 passenger,) used for day trips.
“We have a backup for each one for when they are in for maintenance, or when we have a larger trip with more passengers,” Parks and Recreation Director Mark Gasche said. “The vans are new, so they should be reliable and require less maintenance,” he added.
