UNIACCESS

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UNIACCESS Design of Universal Accessibility
Systems for Public Transport SIXTH FRAMEWORK
PROGRAMME PRIORITY 6.2 Sustainable Surface
Transport FP6-2003-Transport-3
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What is UNIACCESS?

• 2-year Coordinated Action to define concepts for
  universal accessibility in public transport
  funded by 6FP
• Goal promote and support the networking
  coordination of research and innovation
  activities in the field of universal design of
  accessibility systems for public transport.
• Partners multi-sectoral (GIAT, ENIL, AGE,
  SINTEF, CRF, COCEMFE, STS, POLIS, RATP)
• Group of experts

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Why Uniaccess?

• Societys commitment to equality of opportunity
• yet
• Public transport far from being universally
  accessible due to
• No accessibility provisions
• Discontinuity in accessibility provisions
• Accessible devices out of order
• Public attitudes (PT staff and passengers) to
  people with mobility difficulties
• Inclusive design principles more developed in
  building sector than transport sector

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however

• An accessible public transport system benefits
  all the quality of a system is often a key
  factor in modal choice decisions
• People with reduced mobility represent a hidden
  group of potential public transport users
• More accessible transport can reduce the need
  for specialized transport means required by the
  elderly and disabled people

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Main activities of Uniaccess

• To collect useful state-of-the-art knowledge for
  designing universal accessibility system for
  public transport.
• To produce a roadmap of future RD in universal
  design
• To come up with new RD project proposals ?
  allows us to bridge the technology gaps.
• To define an improved collaborative innovation
  process
• To raise awareness of universal design

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State of the art Infrastructure

• Retrofitting of older interchanges/ stations is
  expensive and full accessibility is difficult to
  achieve.
• Furniture installed by service providers (cafes,
  shops, etc) is a major obstacle.
• Verbal announcements are difficult to deliver due
  to multiplicity of noises passenger complaints
• Wide control gates encourage fraud. Control gates
  should offer a compromise between comfort for the
  users and fight against fraud
• Illegal parking at bus stops is an obstacle to
  the deployment of accessible systems

Zagreb
Malmø
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State of the art Vehicles

• Life of certain vehicles very long (especially
  trains trams) and retrofitting often costly and
  not comprehensive.
• Despite technological improvements (e.g.,
  kneeling cushions, ramps, etc), boarding and
  disembarking is still a challenge for people with
  reduced mobility due to steps/gaps.
• Ramps take time to open/close and, in the case of
  manual ramps, require the drivers assistance
  which inconveniences both drivers and other
  passengers due to time lost.
• Aggressive driving (e.g., bus pulling away
  before everyone seated) can discourage people
  with reduce mobility from using public transport.
• Wheelchair users take more place in vehicles than
  other users and their evacuation can take longer.

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State of the art legislation standards

• Legislation on public transport accessibility in
  Europe varies widely in scope and structure.
• Where legislation exists, it is not always
  adequately implemented due to lack of guidance,
  funding and enforcement.
• Absence of public transport accessibility
  standards industry is crying out for standards.
  
• Legislation standards alone will not deliver
  full accessibility. Policy and societal actions
  have role to play.

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State of the art Society

• Lack of societal awareness about needs of people
  with reduced mobility.
• Poor public transport staff attitudes towards PRM
  passengers (drivers under pressure to meet
  schedules).
• The growing proportion of people who cannot use
  conventional public transport constitutes a
  significant cost for society due to necessity to
  use private car or to provide specialised
  transport - taxis, community buses, etc.

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Roadmap for Future Research and Development
State of the art
Vision of the future
Requirements
Emerging concepts
ROADMAP
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RD roadmap overview
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RD roadmap overview
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RD Roadmap overview
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Collaborative processes
Our goal Establish a closer link between
stakeholders and define a new improved
collaborative innovation process.
How?

• Examine current practice (how do designers,
  manufacturers, operators, authorities and end
  users currently interact).
• Identify good practice
• Prepare guidance for an enhanced collaboration
  

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RD project proposals
Our goal Define new project proposals that carry
out the intentions of the roadmap of future RD
in the frame of the improved collaborative
process previously defined
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Dissemination awareness raising

• Quarterly newsletter
• Workshop for local authorities 20/21 March 06
• Key issues communication political support
• Adopting universal accessibility principles in
  public transport design and delivery
• Training manual
• Training session, 8 November 2006, Brussels
• UNIACCESS Conference 9 November 2006, Brussels
• Towards universal accessibility in public
  transport

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For more information

• Visit our Website
• http//www.uniaccessproject.org
• Contact project coordinator
• Sara Sillauren, Euve-Giat,
• email sillaurrens_at_euve.org
• Subscribe to our electronic newsletter on
• http//www.uniaccessproject.org