In Japan, there has been a growing call for the establishment of social systems to cope with the issue of rapid population aging. The construction of a barrier-free society through such measures as the legislation of the Traffic Barrier Free Law has become an urgent issue. As Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) for motor traffic have been introduced, interest has risen in using ITS for ensuring safety, security and smoothness of pedestrian traffic. This study investigates the development of equipment and systems for Pedestrian ITS to ensure walking safety and comfort for the disabled and elderly. As a first step, the authors surveyed the needs of a sample of potential users of the services to be offered by pedestrian ITS, especially the disabled and elderly who are most likely to face difficulties when moving around. This paper presents the results of the survey on the information services required by disabled and elderly pedestrians, and the contents of the pedestrian ITS that will provide such services.
Samenvatting