Which vehicle is right for your trip?
For the vast majority of medical trips on Long Island, a DachiPlus sedan or SUV is the right choice. Ambulatory passengers, patients using a walker or cane, and wheelchair users who can transfer from their chair to a standard vehicle seat all travel comfortably in our standard fleet. The driver handles the wheelchair — folding it and storing it in the trunk.
For trips to NYC specialty centers (Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU Langone, Weill Cornell, NewYork-Presbyterian), or for patients who need a longer, more comfortable ride, we use a long-distance comfort vehicle. These trips are quoted by route — call us to confirm.
If a patient cannot transfer from their wheelchair to a seat and must remain in their chair throughout the trip, that's ambulette service (also called a WAV — wheelchair accessible vehicle). DachiPlus coordinates ambulette trips through licensed WAV partners. Let us know at booking and we'll arrange the right vehicle.
What "door-through-door" actually means
DachiPlus provides door-through-door service — not curb-to-curb. In practice, this means:
- The driver comes to your front door — not the parking lot or the curb
- If you live in an apartment or building with an elevator, the driver comes up to your floor
- The driver assists with boarding: handling the walker, folding the wheelchair, helping with steps
- At the destination, the driver walks you inside to the reception desk before leaving
- On the return trip, the driver comes inside to meet you and walks you back to the vehicle
- At home, the driver waits until you're safely inside before leaving
This is what separates medical transportation from a rideshare. A patient who just had dialysis treatment shouldn't be figuring out how to open a car door from the curb.
Equipment and mobility devices
Our vehicles are equipped to handle the equipment that typically travels with medical passengers:
- Folding manual wheelchairs — folded and stored in the trunk, driver handles it
- Walkers and rollators — trunk storage, boarding assistance included
- Canes and crutches — standard; no advance notice needed
- Portable oxygen tanks — accommodated; please mention at booking so the driver is prepared
- Personal bags and medical supply bags — standard
- Companion or caregiver — one companion rides at no additional charge on most trips
Vehicle maintenance and inspection
All DachiPlus vehicles are registered with the NY State Department of Transportation for for-hire transport. Vehicles pass scheduled commercial inspections and undergo documented pre-trip checks before the first pickup each shift — covering tires, brakes, lights, safety equipment, and cabin cleanliness. Vehicles are sanitized between trips.