For a bus system to be truly accessible to elderly and disabled people, and to be attractive to car drivers, more is required than simply purchasing low-floor buses. The vehicle is only part of the system, and the whole journey, from door to door, must be accessible and attractive. One of the most critical parts of this system is the bus stop and its interface with the bus. A number of trials are in progress around Britain which seek to improve the stop environment and ease boarding and alighting from low-floor buses, often as part of Bus Quality Partnerships between local authorities and bus operators. Examples include Birmingham's enhanced Route 33 with 'Kassel' kerbs and whole-route treatment, Northampton's gas-bus route with guide-wheel docking, 'Kassel' kerb trials in London, and Norwich's Dereham Road route enhancement. The aims include providing guaranteed step-free access to the bus by means of accurate docking at raised kerbs; ensuring the ability of the bus to pull in properly to the stop; providing information in a user-friendly form; designing the stop for comfort, security and access; and enhancing entire routes to provide accessible and attractive services. This paper reports on the study which seeks to compare the trial schemes' performance.
Samenvatting