Roaring Success for Zoo

Allied Mobility and Edinburgh Zoo have teamed up to provide a brand new wheelchair accesible vehicle for visitors with reduced mobility to use in and around the park.  The new Peugeot Horizon™ will make the zoo easier than ever for people with disabilities to enjoy.

The vehicle is able to carry up to four people, including a wheelchair passenger and can take groups to most locations throughout the park.

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle

Based on the Peugeot Partner, Horizon™ is the UK’s most popular wheelchair accessible vehicle.  It’s cleverly designed with a unique EasyLift™ ramp that folds flat to the vehicle floor when not in use and provides a full wheelchair restraint system and lowered, non-slip floor for a low ramp gradient.

The new Edinburgh Zoo vehicle has already proven a big hit with visitors.  Mum, Pamela Kendall, enthuses: “We really enjoyed our visit to the zoo.

“My daughter, Mandy, uses a wheelchair so having a vehicle that could take us around the park made the day really enjoyable and stress free.”

Making Life Easier

Parts of the zoo are quite hilly so having a wheelchair accessible vehicle can make life much easier for wheelchair users and carers alike.  Visitors are given a phone number when they arrive, which they can call at any point during the day when the wheelchair accessible vehicle is required.  They simply get driven to their chosen location and can then enjoy the park at their leisure, before calling for the vehicle to come back and pick them up when it suits.

Pamela says: “Mandy loved the service and the zoo’s driver was so helpful and informative.

“He even gave us a little guided tour as he drove us to our chosen part of the park.  All the staff are lovely and really helpful.”

Pamela adds: “We’ve enjoyed trips to Edinburgh Zoo in the past but the new wheelchair accessible vehicle service really made the day for us this time.  We’d recommend it to anyone with reduced mobility who fancies a day at the zoo!”

Best Experience Possible

Managing director for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Barbara Smith, comments: “We’re always keen to offer our visitors the best experience possible and would love to thank Allied Mobility for their support.”

Allied Mobility co-chairman, Gerry Facenna, added: “I’ve always believed in giving something back, where we can.  When the zoo first approached us we realised that the right vehicle could make a huge difference for disabled visitors.

“I’m just delighted we were able to help.”

The service is up and running now and visitors who want to make use of it can do so by talking to any member of staff in the main reception on their arrival.

Edinburgh Zoo is one of Britain’s most popular visitor attractions, welcoming upwards of 800,000 visitors every year.  Number have recently jumped even further, fowllowing the arrival of two giant pandas, Tian Tian (meaning ‘sweet’) and Yang Guang (meaning ‘sunshine’).

To plan your visit for a great day out, click Edinburgh Zoo here.

Peugeot Horizon™ wheelchair cars are available to buy, rent, lease or through the Motability Scheme.  For more information on this vehicle or any of Allied Mobility’s range of wheelchair accessible cars and MPVs, simply call FREE on the number at the top of this page, email info@alliedmobility.com or click wheelchair accessible vehicles here.