Objective
Improving accessibility aims not only at expanding the railways market but also at contributing to the provision of public transport services to all citizens in an equitable way.
Disabled and elderly people can only plan and undertake journeys if they can be confident that all stages of the journey will provide compatible levels of accessibility. Additionally, there are many people who are not disabled, but to whom policies and facilities designed for disabled people would be helpful, such as passengers with luggage, etc. Finally, research has shown that improved accessibility increases the quality of the public transport system and therefore increases its attractiveness to many passenger categories.
The main objective of the Action is to produce guidance for governments and railway operators on best practice in achieving full accessibility to their services and facilities. The Action will address both technical and economic issues and the extent to which totally independent access can be achieved.
Secondary objectives include the raising of awareness among train operators of the actual and potential size of the market for rail travel among disabled and elderly people, and giving them a clear indication of the wide range of issues involved in realising that market potential.
Current status
4 working groups had been proposed to be set up at the beginning of 1997 with the following areas of interest :
stations ;
rolling stock ;
passenger information ;
economic and market aspects
A seminar will be held in June 1997 in Brussels, in which the transport chain will be emphasised, the UIC/ECMT Guidelines on 1992 will be featured together with the "Finding the Missing Millions" report from the UIC, and where participating countries will present their policies and problems.
Work planned
The programme will build on guidelines drawn by ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport) and on a report from the working group on accessibility from UIC (Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer) which directed the requirements towards harmonisation of rolling stock standards and a more holistic approach. The Action will evaluate the whole journey from door-to-door, including :
economic aspects, including definition of the market, the commercial case for accessibility, the costs of measures, public or private financing, social issues, and the marketing opportunities ;
pre-travel information issues including standardised approaches to content, quality, format and availability of information ;
access to and within station ; issues including ease of access, ticket reservation and purchase, waiting areas, toilet facilities, catering, information and signs ;
the interface between station and rolling stock including platform height, tactile marking/surfaces, boarding/alighting equipment, other boarding/alighting aids, rolling stock technology to minimise horizontal/vertical gaps and luggage transfer ;
rolling stock design, including doorway width/height, gangway width, seating layout, wheelchair space, toilet facilities, catering, lighting, position of handholds, colour contrasts, etc. ; on-train information and access to emergency facilities ;
staff issues, including availability, skills and training and health and safety issues ;
fare structures, including information, incentives to travel/fare-concessions and through ticketing ; group travel, including availability of wheelchair spaces, booking arrangements, training and information to the users ;
compatibility and inter-modal transfer issues such as compatibility between systems of information, facilities, ticketing, luggage registration and transfer/transit information ;
the regulatory framework, addressing legislation/regulation, codes of practice/guidance and the maintaining and monitoring of standards.
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Programme(s)
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Coordinator
1049 Brussels
Belgium
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