SSH CWA 45546-1:2005

Guidelines to standardisers of Collective Transport Systems - Needs of older people and persons with disabilities - Part 1: Basic Guidelines

Scope

The present text provides guidance to writers of relevant standards relating to collective
transport on how to take account of the needs of all passengers with reduced mobility,
especially older persons and persons with disabilities.
This document pursues the furtherance of globally accessible collective transport, that is to
say, transport that can be used by everyone.
Specifically, this document aims to:
• Provide information and raise awareness on how passenger transport systems
should be designed and the circumstances that should be taken into account so
each of their elements is fully accessible.
• Draw attention to the importance of taking account of the needs of people with
disabilities when developing standards.
• Raise awareness of the social importance of accessible collective transport
(transport services for all).
• To demonstrate that the benefits of accessible transport improve the quality of
service (comfort, safety, convenience, etc.) for all users.
• Make more apparent the potential increase in economic trading benefits through
extending accessible transport to a wider population.
• Emphasise the growing market potential. By the year 2010 about 25% of the EU
population will be over 60 years and over 30 % by the year 2020. Many of the
people who are in the older age groups have money and use this to travel. The
percentage of disabled people in the EU will have risen from 11% today to 18% by
2020. Furthermore as the EU itself gets larger these percentages are likely to rise
also.
• Remind governments and planners that effective and accessible collective transport
systems also save money because less social services funding is required to
provide special transport services.