Improving access to public transport

It is vital that public transport ensure accessibility for all individuals. Much progress has been made toward improving accessibility to public transport, however implementation of policies to improve accessibility has proven difficult and slow in many urban areas. One of the key barriers to progress in many cities has been a lack of co-ordination between local authorities and public transport operators.

The ECMT and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) joined forces to examine how public authorities and transport operators can better work together to improve urban public transport vehicles, systems, and associate infrastructure so that they provide better access to people with mobility difficulties and for all clients of the transport system.

This report is the fruit of a joint ECMT-UITP task force. It explores how improved co-operation between public transport service providers and local authorities - along with a close sustained dialogue with members of the disabled community - can ensure better accessibility to public transport. With a focus on experience in four cities: Gothenburg (Sweden), Grenoble (France), Prague (Czech Republic) and Liverpool (UK), the report identifies the critical elements of partnerships between public authorities at different levels of government and public transport operators.