There is growing awareness of the accessibility problems experienced by disabled people or people with reduced mobility using public transport. Originally, local authorities introduced separate door-to-door transport services generally based on taxis for disabled people. Trips needed to be booked in advance. Some cities invested in specially adapted buses with a platform lift. The development of low-floor buses and trams improved accessibility. Boarding aids such as extending ramps or 'palettes' bridged the gap between the pavement and bus or between the platform and tram. The use of powered wheelchair access ramps initially proved troublesome, due to lack of maintenance by operators. The low-floor vehicles have improved public transport for elderly people and people travelling with small children or luggage. The 'Kassel Kerb' design has minimised the gap between the bus and pavement at stops. Accessibility remains a challenge in existing deep metro systems.
Samenvatting