Home // SMART ACCESSIBILITY 2024, The Ninth International Conference on Universal Accessibility in the Internet of Things and Smart Environments // View article

Challenge of Producing Accessibility Data for Public Transport and Travel Chains

Authors:
Merja Saarela
Atte Partanen

Keywords: accessibility, barrier-free transportation, public transportation, travel chain

Abstract:
Transport accessibility for all is considered essential. Passengers with temporary or permanent disability of movement or function face difficulties using public transport services. Taking these aspects into account to build a physically accessible environment and to produce digitally accessible information from the former have proven to be demanding. The demand is even greater when the goal is to make the entire travel chain physically barrier-free and to combine different forms of movement into customized, seamless travel chains, with a digital delivery system via a single connecting service—Mobility as Service (MaaS). The paper presents how the essential accessibility information on public transport travel chains is offered, and how the information meets the accessibility information needs of people with various mobility and functional disabilities. The provision of accessibility information is considered as part of official travel databases, e.g., National Access Points (NAP). The essential accessibility information needs included in travel chains for persons with mobility and functional disabilities were mapped for participants in the city of Riihimäki and the surrounding region in Southern Finland. The essential information was compared with accessibility information provided by official travel databases. The results showed that the databases contained relevant accessibility information, however, the information was not readily available. As a result, the information was also not available in the route guides. The reasons for the lack of data accessibility turned out to be multiple. According to the comparison carried out in this study between the accessibility information needs and the current legal framework on the provision of accessibility information to the public, there are clear areas for improvement in the current system in the city of Riihimäki. This analysis provides valuable insights into the development of public transport and seamless travel chains and improving the travel experience for all.

Pages: 7 to 14

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2024

Publication date: May 26, 2024

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2519-8378

ISBN: 978-1-68558-170-1

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Dates: from May 26, 2024 to May 30, 2024