Blind club head demands that the public transport must be understandable for everyone!

Blind club head demands that the public transport must be understandable for everyone!

Neubrandenburg, Deutschland - The questions about accessibility in local public transport employ both those affected and those responsible. In Neubrandenburg it is currently about the perspective of the blind and wheelchair users. Raimar Schwarz, the head of the Neubrandenburg Blind Association and member of the public transport council of the Mecklenburg Lake District, addressed various forms of impairment and the challenges in local public transport in a lecture. He attracted special attention with the fact that there is no hundred percent accessibility and that the requirements of blind and wheelchair users sometimes mutually exclude each other, as Black note. It is a balancing act that the transport company has to cope with.

Schwarz brought up that the replacement of rails often uses coaches that are unsuitable for wheelchair users. The holding wish buttons in some buses are often not accessible for wheelchair users. Particular attention is also paid to the “silent buses” of the city, which do not make acoustic announcements. He reported difficulties to identify the buses at the central bus station, where several lines run at the same time. Schwarz emphasized: "It is embarrassing to be excluded as a disabled person." In addition to the problems, he referred to other cities such as Chemnitz, Nuremberg and Berlin, which already offer better solutions in public transport.

accessibility in public transport: a necessary goal

Public transport in Germany is continuously trimmed for accessibility, a development that is important not only for those affected, but also for society. According to germany-barriere.de there are now ramps, control systems and floor markings at stops and train stations. These measures are of essential importance for people in a wheelchair or with visual impairments. Nevertheless, there are still many hurdles to overcome, such as the not always extensive renewal of cobblestones or problematic approaches to train stations.

An inclusion study carried out in Nuremberg shows that 63% of the respondents experience restrictions on local and long-distance transport. Peter Vogt, Chairman of the Disabled Council, confirms that there are still stops that are not barrier -free. The Federal Government has set itself the goal of fully implementing accessibility in local public transport by 2026. To this end, barrier -free mobility stations are further expanded, and funds for necessary conversions are flowing.

challenges and views

According to the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG), complete accessibility in local public transport should have been achieved by January 1, 2022. Unfortunately, this date has passed and the reality looks different. Tradition -free cities and counties are responsible, which are faced with high costs and insufficient means. This is still lacking in financial support, both by the federal government and the countries, in order to be able to carry out the necessary conversions.

The implementation is still a tough undertaking. Many renovation programs are in the queue, and often the municipalities do not have enough employees who can take care of the planning of accessible local transport. Central traffic hubs with high usage volume are often prioritized. The challenge remains that many older stops that have to be rebuilt must eventually have to come to the agenda.

The various approaches and the commitment of people such as Raimar Schwarz can be created AHA effects within the committees. "Because disability is not a property, it happens through the environment" is a clear message from the disabled advisory board. It is time that regulatory policy and transport companies show a good hand and work together to improve accessibility in local transport.