A chair car service is a wheelchair-accessible ride with a driver who helps the passenger from the door to the vehicle and into the destination. “Chair car” is a common local name for wheelchair transportation. Carry On Services Inc, based in Braintree, Massachusetts, provides chair car rides in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Key takeaways
- Chair car is an everyday name for a wheelchair-accessible ride with driver help, often booked ahead for appointments.
- It differs from a taxi, public paratransit and an ambulance in the help it includes and how it is booked.
- Ask how the wheelchair is secured, whether the driver helps inside the building, and what happens on stairs.
- Give the dispatcher your wheelchair type, the addresses and any steps, so the right vehicle is sent.
- Carry On Services Inc gives a cost estimate before you confirm, and you can cancel anytime.
What is a chair car service?
A chair car service carries passengers who use a wheelchair in a vehicle built to take the chair, with a ramp or lift, securement points and a driver who helps throughout.
The phrase is informal. People in Massachusetts and across New England often say chair car when they mean wheelchair transportation, and search with those two words before they know the formal terms.
The formal terms overlap with it. You will see wheelchair van, wheelchair transportation, accessible transportation and non-emergency medical transportation used for much the same ride.
What makes it a chair car ride rather than a taxi is the combination: an accessible vehicle, a secured wheelchair and help from the door to the destination.
Who uses a chair car service?
Passengers who stay in a wheelchair during the trip use chair car rides, along with the families and care teams who plan the trip. Common reasons include:
- Medical appointments, including dialysis, physical therapy and chemotherapy rides.
- Trips home from a hospital or clinic visit.
- Family events, weddings, funerals and religious services.
- Errands, shopping and social visits.
Carry On Services Inc offers 10% off dialysis and physical therapy rides, and a free membership that saves 10% on private-pay rides.
Chair car service is for passengers who use a wheelchair. If the passenger walks, with or without a cane or walker, read our guide to ambulatory transportation instead. Our private transportation page covers trips that are not medical.
When a chair car is the right choice
A chair car ride is the right choice when the wheelchair stays with the passenger for the whole trip. It also suits trips where help is needed at both ends.
- The passenger cannot safely manage a curb-to-curb pickup alone.
- The destination is a hospital, clinic or large building with long corridors.
- There are steps at home, and a caregiver cannot be there to help.
- The trip repeats, and you want the same careful process each time.
How is a chair car different from a wheelchair van, a taxi or an ambulance?
The names overlap but the services differ. This table compares the options by what they are and what help each one includes.
| Option | What it is | Driver help | How it is booked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair car service | Accessible vehicle for wheelchair users | Door-to-door, with help inside | Booked ahead with a dispatcher |
| Wheelchair van | Often the same service, named for the vehicle | Varies, so ask | Depends on the provider |
| Accessible taxi or rideshare | On-demand ride in an accessible vehicle | Varies by service, so ask | App or phone |
| Public paratransit, such as MBTA The RIDE | Shared-ride public service for eligible riders | Door-to-door, shared ride | Application, then book one to five days ahead |
| Ambulance | Emergency or medical transport | Medical staff on board | Emergency call or medical order |
Medicare’s ambulance page says Part B covers ground ambulance transportation when traveling in any other vehicle could endanger your health. A routine chair car ride is not an ambulance ride.
The MassHealth page also notes that a non-emergency ambulance is handled separately from its standard transportation program. Our guide to ambulance versus non-emergency medical transportation explains the split.
What does a chair car ride look like, step by step?
A well-run chair car ride follows the same steps each time. Here is what you should expect:
- You book the trip and receive a cost estimate before you confirm.
- The driver arrives at the booked time and comes to the door.
- If there are steps, the driver helps the passenger down them, using specialized stair-assist equipment when needed.
- The wheelchair is brought up the ramp and secured to the vehicle with tie-downs, and the passenger is belted in.
- The driver checks the straps and belt before the vehicle moves.
- At the destination, the driver takes the passenger inside the building, not just to the curb.
- For the return trip, the driver meets the passenger again and repeats the steps.
Securement is the safety step that matters most. Wheel locks alone do not secure a wheelchair in a moving vehicle. Our guide on how to secure a wheelchair in a vehicle shows what correct tie-downs look like.
Carry On Services Inc also teaches a four-hour, four-module wheelchair securement training course. Read whether you need a wheelchair securement certificate for background.
How to prevent the common problems
Most chair car problems come from missing information, not from the vehicle. A few details prevent nearly all of them:
- Give the exact pickup address, including the unit number, entrance and any gate code.
- State the wheelchair type and any steps, so the right equipment is sent.
- Give the appointment time and the address of the building, not just the hospital name.
- Call the office early if the appointment moves or the trip is no longer needed.
What should you ask before you book a chair car?
A few questions separate a smooth ride from a stressful one. Use this checklist on the phone:
- Can the vehicle take my wheelchair, whether it is manual, power or a scooter?
- How will the wheelchair be secured, and will the passenger also wear a seatbelt?
- Does the driver come to the door and go inside the building, or stop at the curb?
- What happens if there are steps at my home or at the destination?
- Will I get a cost estimate before I confirm?
- What is the cancellation policy?
- Can a family member, service animal or caregiver travel too?
The right answers to these are plain and specific. Vague answers are a signal to keep looking. Our guide on what to look for before you book wheelchair van services expands on each point.
Here is what we can say for Carry On Services Inc: door-to-door help inside facilities and on stairs, a cost estimate first, cancel anytime, and animal-friendly rides including service animals, emotional support animals and well-behaved pets.
Does insurance or a public program pay for a chair car?
Sometimes. It depends on the program and the member’s eligibility. MassHealth provides non-emergency transportation at no cost to eligible members, and the state’s page says a wheelchair, walker or mobility scooter user may still use it.
That page also says the service is curb-to-curb unless an enhanced level of service is requested. If the passenger needs help beyond the curb, ask about that when the PT-1 request is made.
MBTA The RIDE is a different public service. The MBTA’s page describes it as shared-ride paratransit and says customers schedule one to five days in advance.
Federal rules also shape public services. The FTA says transit personnel must assist individuals with disabilities with ramps, lifts and securement systems.
Carry On Services Inc accepts Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, workers’ compensation, cash, debit and credit cards. Our MassHealth transportation guide explains the PT-1 process. If you are comparing public options, see disability transportation in Massachusetts.
Coverage rules differ by plan, so ask before the ride rather than after it. Your insurer, your plan or the program’s own page can tell you what applies to your trip.
If the ride is private-pay, we give the estimate first, which lets you decide before any commitment.
How do you book a chair car with Carry On?
Call (855) 638-2568, or call the Fall River office at (508) 642-3995. Hours are Monday to Friday, 4:00 am to 5:00 pm. You can also email support@carryonservicesinc.com or use the online booking form.
Carry On Services Inc has its main office in Braintree and a satellite office in Fall River, which serve riders across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
When you call, have these details ready:
- Pickup address, destination and appointment time.
- Wheelchair type: manual, power or scooter.
- Any steps, stairs or narrow doorways.
- Whether the return trip is needed and when.
Trips outside the regular operating radius need 72 hours’ notice. Our non-emergency medical transportation page lists the rides we run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do people call it a chair car?
It is an informal name for a vehicle and service that carries a person in a wheelchair, and people in New England use it often. The formal terms are wheelchair van and wheelchair transportation.
Is a chair car the same as a wheelchair van?
Usually the service is the same. Chair car names the ride, and wheelchair van names the vehicle. Providers use both terms loosely, so confirm the help included rather than relying on the name.
What other names are used for chair car service?
You may see wheelchair van, chair van, wheelchair transportation, accessible transportation, handicap-accessible transportation, or WAV for wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Searching more than one term usually finds more providers near you.
Does the passenger stay in their own wheelchair for the ride?
In a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, yes. The chair is secured to the vehicle with tie-downs and the passenger wears a seatbelt. Tell the dispatcher about your chair at booking so the vehicle and equipment match.
Why does a chair car booking ask about my wheelchair type?
Manual chairs, power chairs and scooters differ in size and weight, and the vehicle and securement must suit them. Giving the type at booking helps us send the right equipment and plan the trip.
What checks should happen before the vehicle moves?
The driver should confirm the wheelchair is secured with tie-downs, the passenger’s seatbelt is fastened, and any belongings are stowed. If you are not sure the chair is secure, ask the driver to check again.
Is a chair car ride shared with other passengers?
That depends on the provider. Public paratransit such as MBTA The RIDE is described as a shared-ride service. For any private service, ask at booking whether other passengers will be picked up.
Is a chair car ride booked in both directions?
Mention the return trip when you book so it is planned, along with the approximate time. If the appointment time is uncertain, tell the dispatcher. We provide a cost estimate before you confirm.
What should I do if the passenger gets a new wheelchair?
Tell the dispatcher before the next ride. A different chair can change the vehicle, the securement points and the time needed. A quick call avoids delays on the day of the trip.
Can an accessible rideshare replace a chair car?
It can suit some trips, but help varies by service. Ask whether the driver comes to the door, helps with stairs and goes inside the building. If you need that help, choose a door-to-door service.
Sources
- Mass.gov: non-emergency medical transportation for MassHealth members
- MBTA: The RIDE
- Federal Transit Administration: ADA frequently asked questions
- Medicare.gov: ambulance services coverage
Ready to book? Call (855) 638-2568 or book your chair car ride online with Carry On Services Inc.