The St Kilda Life Saving Club in Melbourne is trialling a motorised beach wheelchair that will be available for the next eight weeks.
During the trial users will be asked to provide optional feedback about their experience and suggest improvement for the service. The club said this will assist in the feasibility of the making the chair a permanent fixture.
Use of the motorised beach wheelchair is free and last for 1.5 hours. Booking in advance is essential and can only be made during lifesaving patrol times over weekends.
The motorised function of the wheelchair, combined with the ability for user control means this service is designed to be relatively self-sufficient, however it is required users are accompanied by a carer.
The motorised wheelchair joins other accessible equipment including a beach wheelchair that can enter the water and beach matting.