Improving transport accessibility for all : guide to good practice.

161 Pages·2006·4.261 MB·English

by  OECD

Improving
GUIDE
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT
Transport
TO GOOD
PRACTICE
Accessibility
for All
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Making transport vehicles and infrastructure more accessible to everyone continues p
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to be both an important objective and a major challenge for transport authorities, o GUIDE
operators and service providers worldwide. v
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Accessibility has long been considered as a transport concern only for individuals with g Transport

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particular mobility diffi culties. But it is now increasingly recognized as an integral part r TO GOOD
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of high-quality, sustainable transport systems, with benefi ts accruing to all clients. n
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Much has been done to improve the accessibility of transport systems in recent years. p PRACTICE
o Accessibility
One of the key factors in progress has been the indispensable exchange of experience r
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– both good and less successful – among countries having committed to working
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towards better accessibility. c
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The ECMT has prepared this Guide to Good Practice in order to facilitate such an s
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exchange of experience. It addresses both countries where improvements to i
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accessibility are under way, and those that are just now making that commitment. i
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With examples from recent experience in a wide range of countries, this Guide updates y

the ECMT’s 1999 Guide, pointing to areas where progress has been made as well as to fo
those where challenges persist. r
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(75 2006 10 1 P) ISBN 92-821-0139-8 2006

EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT
Improving
GUIDE
Transport
TO GOOD
Accessibility
PRACTICE
for All
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT
(ECMT)
The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) is an inter-
governmental organisation established by a Protocol signed in Brussels on
17 October 1953. It comprises the Ministers of Transport of 43 full Member
countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, FRY Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
There are seven Associate member countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea,
Mexico, New Zealand and the United States) and one Observer country (Morocco).
The ECMT is a forum in which Ministers responsible for transport, and more
specifically the inland transport sector, can co-operate on policy. Within this forum,
Ministers can openly discuss current problems and agree upon joint approaches
aimed at improving the utilization and at ensuring the rational development of
European transport systems of international importance.
At present, ECMT has a dual role. On one hand it helps to create an integrated
transport system throughout the enlarged Europe that is economically efficient and
meets environmental and safety standards. In order to achieve this, it is important
for ECMT to help build a bridge between the European Union and the rest of the
European continent at a political level.
On the other hand, ECMT’s mission is also to develop reflections on long-term
trends in the transport sector and to study the implications for the sector of
increased globalisation. The activities in this regard have recently been reinforced by
the setting up of a New Joint OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre.

* * *
Publié en français sous le titre:
Améliorer l’accès aux transports pour tous – Guide de bonnes pratiques
Further information about the ECMT is available on Internet
at the following address: www.cemt.org

© ECMT 2006 – ECMT Publications are distributed by:
OECD Publications Service,
2, rue André-Pascal, 75775 PARIS CEDEX 16, France
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The ECMT would like to sincerely thank the members of its
Working Group on Access and Inclusion – the names of whom are
found in Annex – for their expertise in the development of this report
and for providing the examples of good practice.
The ECMT is additionally grateful to the cities which submitted
candidate dossiers for the 2003 ECMT-EDF Access and Inclusion
Award for Transport Services and Infrastructure. Selected good
practice experience from these dossiers is also reflected in this report.
Particular appreciation is extended to accessibility expert Philip
Oxley from the United Kingdom for his expertise in the preparation
and drafting of this report.

IMPROVING TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL: GUIDE TO GOOD PRACTICE – ISBN 92-821-0139-8 - © ECMT, 2006

FOREWORD
From the ECMT Presidency
Accessibility is increasingly recognized as a key element of a
high-quality, efficient and sustainable transport system. Indeed all of
us as users of the transport system benefit from easier access to
buses, trams, trains, planes and ships. The economic benefits of
better accessibility for transport operators and service providers are
also becoming progressively clearer.
This recognition has been pushed forward over the last
10-15 years by legislation and regulation in many countries. This has
helped to establish a framework to encourage cooperative action
among all stakeholders of the system – public authorities, transport
service providers and operators – working hand-in-hand with disabled
and older persons and their representative organizations to design
and construct transport networks, infrastructure and vehicles that are
accessible to all users of the transport system.
Other essential aspects of accessible transport such as training
for transport personnel and user information continue to improve, as
does our understanding of the range of particular travel needs of
individuals with different types of disability: motor, sensory,
intellectual.
But much remains to be done to improve access to transport, and
different countries face specific challenges in making their transport
systems more accessible.
It is for this reason that the sharing of experience and good
practice – what has worked well and what has worked less well – is an
essential part of making accessible transport a reality across our
countries.
IMPROVING TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL: GUIDE TO GOOD PRACTICE – ISBN 92-821-0139-8 - © ECMT, 2006
6
- FOREWORD
This Guide to Good Practice is designed to facilitate that
exchange of experience. With new examples from recent experience
in a wide range of countries, it updates the ECMT’s 1999 Guide,
highlighting areas where progress has been made, and those where
particular challenges persist.
During its 2005-2006 Presidency of ECMT, Ireland has taken its
own steps to improve the accessibility of its transport system. We
passed significant disability legislation in 2005, and will publish a
sectoral plan for accessibility to transport in mid-2006.
In preparing to take forward these major initiatives, we have
benefited from the experience of a number of other ECMT countries
and the ground-breaking policy work carried out by the ECMT itself.
We stand ready to share our experience with other countries.
It is in this spirit that the ECMT has prepared this Guide to Good
Practice, and with hopes that it helps not only countries already
working towards better transport accessibility, but also those that are
just now making the commitment to do so.
Martin Cullen
Minister of Transport Ireland

IMPROVING TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL: GUIDE TO GOOD PRACTICE – ISBN 92-821-0139-8 - © ECMT, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD FROM THE ECMT PRESIDENCY................................5
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................11
1. INFORMATION..........................................................................15
1.1 Clarity...................................................................................15
1.2 Overall information ...............................................................17
1.3 Information at stations and stops..........................................21
1.4 Concise.................................................................................22
1.5 Hearing information..............................................................22
1.6 Accurate and timely..............................................................24
1.7 General information..............................................................24
1.8 Multi-modal journeys ............................................................26
2. THE ROAD AND PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT.....................29
2.1 Footpaths and footways .......................................................29
2.2 Junctions and road crossings...............................................31
2.3 Pedestrianised areas............................................................32
2.4 Roadworks: holes and how to avoid them............................32
2.5 Tactile surfaces....................................................................33
2.6 Car parking...........................................................................37
2.7 Longer road journeys............................................................39
2.8 Summary..............................................................................39
IMPROVING TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL: GUIDE TO GOOD PRACTICE – ISBN 92-821-0139-8 - © ECMT, 2006
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– TABLE OF CONTENTS
3. INFRASTRUCTURE...................................................................41
3.1 Introduction...........................................................................41
3.2 Getting into the building........................................................42
3.2.1 Escalators...................................................................48
3.2.2 Travelators.................................................................49
3.3 Moving within the building.....................................................49
3.3.1 Wayfinding in buildings...............................................49
3.3.2 Pedestrian clearways.................................................51
3.3.3 Facilities and services................................................52
3.3.4 Waiting for buses, trains, etc......................................55
3.3.5 Refreshment facilities.................................................58
3.3.6 Toilets.........................................................................58
3.3.7 Other infrastructure.....................................................59
3.4 Boarding the vehicle.............................................................61
3.4.1 Bridging the gap.........................................................61
3.4.2 Heavy rail ...................................................................64
3.4.3 Getting onto aircraft....................................................66
3.4.4 Other features ............................................................67
4. VEHICLES..................................................................................71
4.1 Buses and Coaches.............................................................72
4.1.1 Measures to assist ambulant disabled people............75
4.1.2 Measures to assist wheelchair users..........................77
4.1.3 High floor coaches......................................................77
4.2 Taxis ...................................................................................79
4.3 Trams and light rail...............................................................82
4.4 Heavy rail..............................................................................84
4.5 Aircraft..................................................................................87
4.6 Ferries and ships..................................................................89
4.7 Cable cars and funiculars.....................................................91
IMPROVING TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL: GUIDE TO GOOD PRACTICE – ISBN 92-821-0139-8 - © ECMT, 2006