Heathrow Airport introduces new accessible transport vehicles to help passengers get around
Multimobby is the new electric vehicle that Heathrow Airport has introduced, in collaboration with OmniServ, to enable people with disabilities to travel through the airport with ease.
Made by Netherlands-based company Special Mobility, the Multimobby has a capacity of up to seven people as well as an operator. The mobility devices can take up to three wheelchairs at once and provide an innovative and efficient method of transportation for passengers.
Jonathan Coen, Director of Customer Relations and Service at Heathrow Airport, told Passenger Terminal Today: “We are committed to improving the journeys of all of our passengers – no matter their requirements. An airport the size of Heathrow can be difficult to maneuver through and these Multimobbys will make a real difference to our passengers requiring assistance, particularly those with mobility issues or disabilities.
“The introduction of technology such as Multimobbys forms part of our wider efforts to transform our assistance service – including investing £23m [US$29m] in an upgraded contract with OmniServ – and help us deliver the high levels of passenger service people have rightly come to expect from us.”
Special Mobility currently supplies airports with specialist mobility equipment to enable people to navigate through the airports with ease.
Samantha Berry, Head of Innovation and Regulatory Compliance at OmniServ, added: “OmniServ is committed to delivering the best possible experience for all passengers at Heathrow, including people who find it difficult to make their own way through the terminals.
“The new Multimobby vehicles are part of a major investment we are making in new equipment and technologies, which is being backed with in-depth training for our staff, that will help us deliver on that promise.”
Heathrow, OmniServ and Special Mobility worked in collaboration to design a tailor-made version of the Multimobby mobility device to meet Heathrow’s requirements, including the ability to fit in the airport’s lifts and a space to attach a wheelchair.
Established in 2004, OmniServ provides airports with a variety of services, including services to people with restricted mobility.