A riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) comprising: a frame (30, 330) to which at least a pair of drive wheels are operably coupled; an engine (40, 340) operably coupled to the frame (30, 330) via an engine platform (42, 342), the engine (40, 340) being disposed substantially between the drive wheels to selectively provide drive power to the drive wheels via respective hydraulic pumps (46, 346); a steering assembly comprising control levers (50, 350) operably coupled to respective ones of the drive wheels via the respective hydraulic pumps (46, 346), the steering assembly enabling steering of the riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) based on drive speed control of the drive wheels responsive to positioning of the control levers (50, 350); a support platform (20, 320) operably coupled to the frame (30, 330) at a rear portion of the riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) to support a standing operator; characterized in that the riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) comprises: a front platform (48, 348) operably coupled to the frame (30, 330) forward of the engine platform (42,342), the front platform (48, 348) supporting the hydraulic pumps (46, 346); and a bypass assembly (70, 370) configured to enable the hydraulic pumps (36, 346) to be simultaneously engaged or disengaged from a single location at the riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) via operation of a single actuator, wherein the single actuator comprises a universal bypass lever (72, 372) that is configured to slide along a surface of the front platform (48, 348), wherein the universal bypass lever (72, 372) is configured to be moved inward to engage the hydraulic pumps (46, 346) and moved outward to disengage the hydraulic pumps (46, 346), and wherein movement of the universal bypass lever (72, 372) causes movement of a local bypass lever (76, 376) of each of the hydraulic pumps to move in opposite directions. a frame (30, 330) to which at least a pair of drive wheels are operably coupled; an engine (40, 340) operably coupled to the frame (30, 330) via an engine platform (42, 342), the engine (40, 340) being disposed substantially between the drive wheels to selectively provide drive power to the drive wheels via respective hydraulic pumps (46, 346); a steering assembly comprising control levers (50, 350) operably coupled to respective ones of the drive wheels via the respective hydraulic pumps (46, 346), the steering assembly enabling steering of the riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) based on drive speed control of the drive wheels responsive to positioning of the control levers (50, 350); a support platform (20, 320) operably coupled to the frame (30, 330) at a rear portion of the riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) to support a standing operator; characterized in that the riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) comprises: a front platform (48, 348) operably coupled to the frame (30, 330) forward of the engine platform (42,342), the front platform (48, 348) supporting the hydraulic pumps (46, 346); and a bypass assembly (70, 370) configured to enable the hydraulic pumps (36, 346) to be simultaneously engaged or disengaged from a single location at the riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) via operation of a single actuator, wherein the single actuator comprises a universal bypass lever (72, 372) that is configured to slide along a surface of the front platform (48, 348), wherein the universal bypass lever (72, 372) is configured to be moved inward to engage the hydraulic pumps (46, 346) and moved outward to disengage the hydraulic pumps (46, 346), and wherein movement of the universal bypass lever (72, 372) causes movement of a local bypass lever (76, 376) of each of the hydraulic pumps to move in opposite directions. a front platform (48, 348) operably coupled to the frame (30, 330) forward of the engine platform (42,342), the front platform (48, 348) supporting the hydraulic pumps (46, 346); and a bypass assembly (70, 370) configured to enable the hydraulic pumps (36, 346) to be simultaneously engaged or disengaged from a single location at the riding lawn care vehicle (10, 310) via operation of a single actuator, wherein the single actuator comprises a universal bypass lever (72, 372) that is configured to slide along a surface of the front platform (48, 348), wherein the universal bypass lever (72, 372) is configured to be moved inward to engage the hydraulic pumps (46, 346) and moved outward to disengage the hydraulic pumps (46, 346), and wherein movement of the universal bypass lever (72, 372) causes movement of a local bypass lever (76, 376) of each of the hydraulic pumps to move in opposite directions.