Installation of Vectorial® system platforms to guarantee accessibility in the new shuttle buses of Le Mans city (France).

Since June 2^nd, the electric shuttle bus “La Mancelle” from the SETRAM company has been running in Le Mans (France). This shuttle bus aims to reduce the number of cars on the streets of the city center.

Needs and project objectives.

The shuttle bus stops in eight stations located in the main attractions of the city, such as Place des Jacobins and Place de la République, where our Vectorial® system platforms have been installed.

For the moment, the shuttle bus is in the experimentation phase. However, depending on the citizens’ response towards this new infrastructure, it could become permanent and expand its routes.

Having in mind that it is a pilot project, the elements installed to guarantee accessibility at the bus stops must accomplish some criteria:

• They need to be easy and quick to install.
• They need to be modular to create variable lengths and widths depending on the location.
• They need to offer the opportunity to uninstall them and reinstall them elsewhere, depending on the needs at each moment. And at the same time, if the installation becomes permanent, it will offer good durability.

In addition to these requirements, the designated locations and the shuttle buses had some particularities to consider:

• The Place des Jacobins is located near the Saint-Julien cathedral. Therefore, the elements installed to guarantee the accessibility at the bus stop had to respect the architectural requirements of this emblematic location.
• The height of these shuttle buses is lower than that of the standard buses that operate in the city. Therefore, the installed elements should be able to adapt to that height.

Proposed solution.

To meet all these requirements, Le Mans city opted to install three platforms of ZICLA’s Vectorial® system at the stops of the new electric bus. This is how we solved their needs.

• To meet the architectural requirements of the Saint-Julien Cathedral, we painted the surface of the platform’s modules beige. This allowed the Vectorial® system to be fully integrated into the historic setting of this beautiful cathedral.
• To adapt to the height of the buses, we decided to use the modules of the Vectorial® system, 14cm high. This way, shuttle buses can deploy their wheelchair-access ramps without a problem. It is our first installation of the new 14 cm high platform of the Vectorial® system in France.

The three platforms installed in Le Mans perfectly fulfill their function, and they have the advantage of being made of 100% recycled and fully recyclable plastic.