Title

The gap between vehicle and platform as a barrier for the disabled: an effort to empirically relate the gap size to the difficulty of bridging it

Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

2007

Subject Area

Infrastructure - Facilities, Mobility - Mobility aid, Mobility - Mobility impaired, Mobility - Wheelchair, Transport planning - Accessibility planning

Abstract

The gap between public transport vehicles and platforms is an important factor in the (in) accessibility of public transport. Much of the effort to increase the accessibility is directed at minimising the gap, both horizontally and vertically. There is a general idea of the widths and heights that are downright unacceptable (15x15cm being too much), but much less of what should be achieved without aids such as lifts and ramps. Organizations of the disabled may demand a maximum of 2x2cm! It is essential to know how much can be achieved by narrowing the gap: which type and gravity of disability will be accommodated and the numbers of disabled who will profit from a certain investment to decrease the width and height of the gap. On request of the Dutch National Office for Accessibility, Delft University of Technology performed laboratory experiments to gain quantitative insights. For these experiments, a standard platform was built in a laboratory hall. Along this platform a number of plateaus representing public transport vehicles were placed. These were positioned at different combinations of horizontal and vertical distances. Persons with physical disabilities were invited by the National Office for testing the different gaps. During thirteen days about 150 people from all over the Netherlands came to Delft to try to overcome the succession of gaps. This opportunity was utilised to confront the participants with two different urban buses, parked in the laboratory. The process of entering the bus, reaching a seat or wheelchair site and taking and leaving it was observed and discussed with them. In the analysis of the testing results the relation between disability and the gap size was investigated. Of course, the 2x2cm gap was hardly a problem. The 10x10cm gap constituted a serious problem for more than half the participants. The selection of participant has of course been biased towards the more active disabled and the enthusiasm shown by them in trying to bridge the gap indicates the desirability of a lower limit. The observations at the buses demonstrated a number of sub-optimal design features to be discussed with the respective companies. Towards empirically founded standards The accessibility of public transport has been improved considerably during recent decades. Low floor trains, trams and buses have been introduced in a range of countries and platforms have been adapted to these.

Rights

Permission to publish has been given by TRANSED 2007.