Medical Services Ltd has just taken delivery of 66 new Fiat Doblò Combi wheelchair accessible vehicles.

The vehicles, all Euro 5 Doblò Combi Maxi (long wheelbase L2H1) N1 Active 1.6 MultiJet 16v Diesel 105 versions, are being supplied to Medical Services Ltd (MSL), through Fiat Professional dealer, HTC Van centre, Croydon, Surrey. They have been converted to MSL's specification by Lateral Design Concepts Ltd of Keighley, West Yorkshire.

All vehicles have been converted to a single wheelchair accessible vehicle with bi-fold access ramp. Base vehicle options fitted include the passenger airbag. Lateral worked closely with MSL to produce a vehicle tailored to their exact requirements, developing a highly versatile, durable and hygienic accessible vehicle appropriate for increasingly demanding ambulance patient transport applications. The resulting ‘MediWav' conversion is now part of Lateral's highly efficient ‘Compact PTS' model range.

The vehicles will be used to transport wheelchair using or walking patients to hospital appointments.

"We are proud to have one of the most modern fleets in the industry, which benefits the patient experience. Our fleet strategy has a growing green emphasis, which means that where suitable green options are available we are increasingly adopting them," says Joe Sheehan, managing director, Medical Services Ltd.

"All of the new Fiat Doblò Combi Maxi wheelchair accessible vehicles come with the latest Euro5 engine which gives greater fuel economy and lower carbon emissions. This forms part of our ISO14001 environmental standard strategy for reducing carbon emissions and demonstrates that we are trying to reduce our impact on the environment where we can.

"We are delighted to add these new Fiat Doblò Combi Maxi vehicles to the fleet, as part of our on-going efforts to ensure high-quality services to our clients and a welcoming, safe environment for the patients we carry."

"We are delighted that MSL has chosen our award-winning Doblò Combi Maxi to join its high quality ambulance fleet," says Sebastiano Fedrigo, director, Fiat Professional. "The Fiat Doblò Combi's attributes of a comfortable interior, roominess, accessibility, low-running costs, environmentally-friendly engines and safety make it the perfect choice for conversion to a wheelchair accessible vehicle."