Accessible transportation · North Jersey
Wheelchair-accessible buses with trained drivers and aides
Lift-equipped school buses that keep every student on the same trip, with a driver trained in securement and student management and an aide when the plan calls for one. NW Transport runs wheelchair-accessible bus rental and special needs transportation across North Jersey, for one field trip or for a daily route. Request online and a written quote comes back within one business day.
Based in Little Falls, NJ. Trips and routes across Passaic, Bergen, Essex, Morris, Hudson and Union counties.
One trip, the whole class
An accessible bus means the student who uses a wheelchair rides with their classmates, boards at the same door and arrives at the same time.
Lift-equipped buses
A wheelchair lift at the rear door, securement stations inside and seating for the rest of the group on the same bus. The lift is checked on the driver's daily pre-trip inspection.
Securement done right
Four-point wheelchair tie-downs and an occupant restraint on every station. Drivers are trained on the equipment and secure each rider themselves, every time.
An aide when the plan calls for one
Bus aides ride when the district, the IEP or the program requires one. Mark the aide on the request form and the run is staffed from the first day.
Routine and dignity
The same driver, the same bus and the same boarding order where the schedule allows. Students who rely on routine get one, and the driver learns each rider's needs.
Daily routes and one-off trips
A daily route to an in-district or out-of-district placement, a mid-day run to therapy, or one field trip with the class. The same bus and driver standard applies to all of them.
Car seats, vests and harnesses
Car seats and safety vests are available for younger riders and for students whose plan calls for them. Tell us on the request and the bus is set up before pickup.
The right vehicle for the rider
Tell us how many riders use a wheelchair and how many ride seated, and we assign the bus with the stations the trip needs.
| Vehicle | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelchair-accessible bus | A class or a group with one or more riders who use a wheelchair | Lift-equipped, securement stations plus seating, aide when required |
| Wheelchair-accessible van | One or two riders to a placement, a clinic or a program | Smaller stops, residential streets, door-to-door service |
| 16- to 29-passenger bus | Riders who transfer from a wheelchair to a seat | Folding chairs stowed on board; tell us when you book |
| 54-passenger school bus | The rest of a large group travelling alongside the accessible bus | Both buses leave and arrive together |
How booking works
Tell us the riders
Date and times, pickup and destination, how many riders use a wheelchair, whether an aide is required, and any car seat or vest needs. The request form has a field for each.
Get the written quote
Within one business day, by email, with the bus, the aide if one is staffed, every stop and time, and the terms.
Accept and ride
Accept online. The driver, the bus and the aide are assigned, the trip sheet goes to the driver, and the office confirms the boarding plan with you the week of the trip.
Mark "student(s) with an IEP riding" on the request and dispatch will call before the trip to go over the plan.
Who books accessible transportation with us
Accessible runs are set up by offices that need the details right the first time, and we work from their plan rather than a generic one.
- Special-services directors and case managers arranging a daily route to an in-district class or an out-of-district placement, with the aide, the equipment and the pickup window written into the booking.
- Teachers and trip leaders who want the whole class on one trip, with the accessible bus as the class bus rather than a separate vehicle.
- Adult programs, day centers and advocacy organizations taking members to an outing, a game or an event, with drivers who hold the passenger endorsements New Jersey requires for riders of any age.
- Camps and after-school programs that enroll campers who use a wheelchair and need the same route the other campers ride.
Drivers are fingerprint-cleared, hold a current DOT medical certificate and complete New Jersey's school bus safety education, student management and anti-bullying training. Schools and districts can book on a purchase order; other organizations pay before the trip date.
Accessible bus questions
Can the student's class ride on the same bus?
Yes. A wheelchair-accessible bus has securement stations and regular seating on the same vehicle, so the student who uses a wheelchair and their classmates travel together. For a large group we pair the accessible bus with a second bus that leaves and arrives at the same time.
Do you provide a bus aide?
Yes, when the district, the IEP or the program requires one. Aides are trained in student management and ride on accessible trips and daily routes. Mark the aide on the request form and the run is staffed from the first day.
How is a wheelchair secured on the bus?
With a four-point tie-down system at a securement station and an occupant restraint for the rider. The driver secures each rider personally before the bus moves and checks the equipment on the daily pre-trip inspection.
Can you run a daily route to an out-of-district placement?
Yes. Daily accessible routes run with the same driver, bus and aide every school day where the schedule allows. Send the placement address, the school hours and the rider's plan, and a written quote comes back within one business day.
What about riders with other needs, without a wheelchair?
Tell us on the request. Car seats, safety vests, an aide, a consistent driver and a planned boarding order are all available, and dispatch calls before the trip to go over the plan when a student with an IEP is riding.
What are the cancellation terms?
Cancel free of charge until 48 hours before pickup. Inside 48 hours, half the trip price applies; once the bus has arrived, the full price. Daily routes set their notice period on the quote, and weather days are handled case by case with the school.
Every student on the same trip.
A quote within one business day, a named driver and an accessible bus, and an aide when the plan calls for one.
Wheelchair-accessible bus rental and special needs transportation for schools and programs in Wayne, Clifton, Paterson, Passaic, Montclair, Bloomfield, West Orange, Livingston, Fair Lawn, Paramus, Hackensack, Parsippany and Newark, and across Passaic, Bergen, Essex, Morris, Hudson and Union counties. Also see field trip buses, district routes and bids and school bus rental in North Jersey.