The first, preliminary part of this paper assesses the actual benefits of low floor buses to mobility impaired people in the UK. The main part describes a research project, whose results indicate that various barriers in the built environment might negate the potential of low floor buses for these people. Evidence from travel surveys shows that mobility impaired people travel by bus only about once a week on average. The problems of boarding and alighting from a bus are the greatest, but other important problems of access for them include uneven pavements, awkward kerbs, hills, roads without crossings, and broken paving stones. The research project on the travel environment for mobility impaired people was conducted by the University of Ulster in collaboration with several other organisations in Northern Ireland. 45 elderly people were interviewed in three urban areas, where local Age Concern groups were very active. Various environmental, personal and trip-related barriers to travel were identified in group discussions with these people. Problems included parking at bus stops, infrequent bus services, and poor pavement maintenance. Old people were also interviewed at home and on buses. Nearly 50 barriers were identified, and recommendations were made to negate them.
Abstract