A riding lawn care vehicle comprising: a frame to which at least a pair of drive wheels are operably coupled; an engine operably coupled to the frame via an engine platform , the engine being disposed substantially between the drive wheels to selectively provide drive power to the drive wheels via respective hydraulic pumps ; a steering assembly comprising control levers operably coupled to respective ones of the drive wheels via the respective hydraulic pumps , the steering assembly enabling steering of the riding lawn care vehicle based on drive speed control of the drive wheels responsive to positioning of the control levers ; a support platform operably coupled to the frame at a rear portion of the riding lawn care vehicle to support a standing operator; characterized in that the riding lawn care vehicle comprises: a front platform operably coupled to the frame forward of the engine platform , the front platform supporting the hydraulic pumps ; and a bypass assembly configured to enable the hydraulic pumps to be simultaneously engaged or disengaged from a single location at the riding lawn care vehicle via operation of a single actuator, wherein the single actuator comprises a universal bypass lever that is configured to slide along a surface of the front platform , wherein the universal bypass lever is configured to be moved inward to engage the hydraulic pumps and moved outward to disengage the hydraulic pumps , and wherein movement of the universal bypass lever causes movement of a local bypass lever of each of the hydraulic pumps to move in opposite directions. a frame to which at least a pair of drive wheels are operably coupled; an engine operably coupled to the frame via an engine platform , the engine being disposed substantially between the drive wheels to selectively provide drive power to the drive wheels via respective hydraulic pumps ; a steering assembly comprising control levers operably coupled to respective ones of the drive wheels via the respective hydraulic pumps , the steering assembly enabling steering of the riding lawn care vehicle based on drive speed control of the drive wheels responsive to positioning of the control levers ; a support platform operably coupled to the frame at a rear portion of the riding lawn care vehicle to support a standing operator; characterized in that the riding lawn care vehicle comprises: a front platform operably coupled to the frame forward of the engine platform , the front platform supporting the hydraulic pumps ; and a bypass assembly configured to enable the hydraulic pumps to be simultaneously engaged or disengaged from a single location at the riding lawn care vehicle via operation of a single actuator, wherein the single actuator comprises a universal bypass lever that is configured to slide along a surface of the front platform , wherein the universal bypass lever is configured to be moved inward to engage the hydraulic pumps and moved outward to disengage the hydraulic pumps , and wherein movement of the universal bypass lever causes movement of a local bypass lever of each of the hydraulic pumps to move in opposite directions. a front platform operably coupled to the frame forward of the engine platform , the front platform supporting the hydraulic pumps ; and a bypass assembly configured to enable the hydraulic pumps to be simultaneously engaged or disengaged from a single location at the riding lawn care vehicle via operation of a single actuator, wherein the single actuator comprises a universal bypass lever that is configured to slide along a surface of the front platform , wherein the universal bypass lever is configured to be moved inward to engage the hydraulic pumps and moved outward to disengage the hydraulic pumps , and wherein movement of the universal bypass lever causes movement of a local bypass lever of each of the hydraulic pumps to move in opposite directions. <EOS>