On behalf of the German Federal Highway Research Institute (Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen BASt), we worked on the issue of accessibility in long-distance buses. The aim was to develop recommendations that support the legislation for a Europe-wide uniform regulation on barrier-free provision for long-distance buses.

The topic was addressed in two steps: First, we investigated conditions for and requirements of accessibility for different user groups (visually impaired, hearing impaired, mobility impaired, elderly, children, pregnant women, etc.). We researched current definitions of accessibility, standards and guidelines for barrier-free design of means of transport as well as their attached infrastructure, and developed a definition of accessibility for long-distance buses.

In the second step, we assessed the state of scientific knowledge and the identified needs in terms of practical feasibility. We developed concrete recommendations for vehicle equipment, operation and infrastructure in order to support a rapid and, above all, expedient transfer of the results of our work into the discussion on the design of long-distance buses.

In the project, we worked closely with the Steuerungsgruppe Lastenheft. The Department of Railways and Railway Operations at the Technical University of Berlin (Schienenfahrwege und Bahnbetrieb der Technischen Universität Berlin) also supported us with a presentation of the implementation of accessibility in the railroad sector and a corresponding examination of the transferability of these solutions to long-distance buses.