Funding and administrative arrangements for disabled people : a comparative study of four European countries.

The paper examines the statutory framework within which provision of public transport services is made for disabled people and compares the results, in terms of service levels and vehicle design, of different approaches in the four countries: Sweden, France, Spain and Great Britain. The services considered include local and long distance bus services, rail services and LRT/metro systems. The different roles for voluntary and non-profit making special services are considered in relation to the extent to which main-stream public transport services are accessible to disabled people. The costs of providing accessible transport through the voluntary/ non-profit sector and through main-stream public transport are compared. The paper concludes with a comparison of national policies on providing adapted private vehicles for disabled drivers and passengers.