Find out what People with Reduced Mobility really expect from a barrier-free mobility and how to achieve it. Public authorities and transit operators need to adjust their services to make it fair and easy to use for everyone. We polled people with mobility impairments. And independence comes at a high cost — with an expensive adapted car, or a taxi. Public schedules make it hard to avoid long waiting times, too early pick-ups or late drop-offs.
The second major need to consider is accessibility. On top of accessible bus stops and vehicles, booking a ride can also be a challenge for People with Reduced Mobility. Most of the services are not digitised and thus cannot take into account additional dwelling times for wheelchair users when booking a ride.
A digital booking solution will take this into account, and to make the service more efficient and user-friendly. Last but not least, security and comfort is a third need that users with reduced mobility wish to see addressed.
Traveling together with caregivers or companions, and having a dedicated seat for them can be essential. Demand-Responsive Transport DRT offers an opportunity to create barrier-free public transport: it focuses on its users rather than the schedule. With the booking options such as selecting a number of wheelchair seats and enabling booking by third parties, transit operators can increase the quality of their paratransit service without causing tremendous operating costs.
In cooperation with transport operators, Padam Mobility provides a response to the mobility and digitalisation challenges of paratransit services and stakeholders. Smart shared mobility services allow users to book their rides in real-time, as well as vehicles that have space for a wheelchair or baby carriage.
