Improving Access To Public Transport

handi okbis GB 26/10/04 15:07 Page 1 EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT IMPROVING ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT It is vital that public transport ensure accessibility for all individuals. Much progress has been made toward improving accessibility to public transport, however implementation of policies to improve accessibility has proven difficult and slow in many urban areas. One of the key barriers to progress in many cities has been a lack of co-ordination between local authorities and public transport operators. The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) joined forces to examine how public authorities and transport operators can better work together to improve urban public transport vehicles, systems, and associate infrastructure so that they provide better access to people with mobility difficulties and for all clients of the transport system. This report is the fruit of a joint ECMT-UITP task force. It explores how improved co-operation between public transport service providers and local authorities – along with a close sustained dialogue with members of the disabled community – can ensure better accessibility to public transport. With a focus on experience in four cities: Gothenburg (Sweden), Grenoble (France), Prague (Czech Republic) and Liverpool (UK), the report identifies the critical elements of partnerships between public authorities at different levels of government and public transport operators. (75 2004 081 P) ISBN 92-821-1323-X -:HSTCSC=VVXWXX: IMPROVING ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT p1 handi GB 13/10/04 12:34 Page 1 EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT IMPROVING ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT I N T E R NAT I O NA L A S S O C I AT I O N O F P U B L I C T R A N S P O R T EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT (ECMT) The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) is an inter-governmental organization established by a Protocol signed in Brussels on 17 October 1953. It comprises the Ministers of Transport of 43 full Member countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, FRY Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. There are seven Associate member countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States) and one Observer country (Morocco). The ECMT is a forum in which Ministers responsible for transport, and more specifically the inland transport sector, can co-operate on policy. Within this forum, Ministers can openly discuss current problems and agree upon joint approaches aimed at improving the utilization and at ensuring the rational development of European transport systems of international importance. At present, ECMT has a dual role. On one hand it helps to create an integrated transport system throughout the enlarged Europe that is economically efficient and meets environmental and safety standards. In order to achieve this, it is important for ECMT to help build a bridge between the European Union and the rest of the European continent at a political level. On the other hand, ECMT’s mission is also to develop reflections on long-term trends in the transport sector and to study the implications for the sector of increased globalisation. The activities in this regard have recently been reinforced by the setting up of a New Joint OECD/ECMT Transp