If you’re making the not-insignificant investment in a minibus, then it only makes sense that you should also make a few tweaks so that it suits your particular needs. That might mean a set of liveries so that everyone can see at a glance that they’re getting on the right vehicle in a crowded car-park; it might mean more extensive customization to meet the requirements of a particular sort of traveler.
Aftermarket Seating
If you’ve tracked down a second-hand minibus, then you might find that you want to move the seats around. Sometimes, you might find that you have more seats than you need, and you might benefit from the extra legroom. Sometimes, you might find that you need more capacity. The seats themselves might not be sufficiently comfortable – which can be a disadvantage on long journeys. Swap them out for something different!
Extra Features
Speaking of long journeys, we should consider the extra features you might need to improve the quality of life. You might install a fridge to eliminate the need for spending big at a rest stop. You might install air conditioning, or televisions, or extra speakers toward the rear. Minibus customization allows for all kinds of weird and wonderful tweaks to suit a whole range of eccentric needs. Tinted windows provide privacy, more generous luggage capacity provides for longer trips. All minibusses must come with speed limiters, tachographs, and other accident-preventing technologies.
Accessibility
If you’re going to be moving the seats around, then you might consider making room for wheelchair users. As well as providing space for the wheelchairs themselves to go, it’s important to think about how they’ll get on or off the bus itself. Electronic lifts and special ramps will help make life a great deal easier.
As well as thinking about your current requirements for wheelchair users, it’s also worth considering what the picture might be like in the future. It’s easier to make extensive modifications all in one go than to keep coming back to tweak things – especially if you need uninterrupted access to the bus.
This isn’t to say that the process of customization is always a lengthy or complicated one. Minibusses are easier to customize than many might imagine. They are, after all, all based on the chassis of a handful of vans. Rearranging things to suit a particular need is often a straightforward process, and performing slight tweaks along the way will help you to fine-tune the bus to the needs of its passengers. If you’re unsure of how to proceed, then a company like Allied Vehicles will do the customization on your behalf.
