Transportation is for everyone. Really?

Do EU funds really support transportation accessible to everyone? The discussion showed that the answer is not simple – which is precisely why this meeting was so necessary. Although accessibility is today a formal condition for funding, it still too often remains only on paper. Passengers’ daily lives look different: curbs that are too high, mismatched ramps, no way to transfer with a wheelchair.

The 57th TOB meeting, co-organized by CUPT, the City of Lodz and MOPS Lodz, focused on one goal: to close the gap between design and real user experience. The event included a Mobility Parliament.

What drew the most attention

The data is there – but no one is using it

Railroads know how many passengers take advantage of discounts for people with disabilities, how many seniors or children. The numbers are growing, but the conclusions… even if there are they rarely translate into action.

Accessibility is a system, not a single element

An accessible bus stop and an inaccessible bus (or vice versa) is still the norm. A single ramp does not solve the problem.

Real-world testing works

Poznan invites people with disabilities to depots, children test streetcars. It’s practice, not theory – and it shows what really works.

Recommendations: the three most important

01. audit with real users before acceptance

Any EU-funded project should undergo a research walk-through with user groups with different needs – before it is picked up.

02. multi-channel passenger information as standard

Contrast, large letters, sound, pictograms, PJM on screens – this is not a luxury, it’s the basis of any interchange.

03. measuring outcomes, not just products

Not “how many ramps have been built”, but “how many passengers use them”. The data already exists – it needs to be analyzed.

Why is this important?

Transportation is not just infrastructure. This is the right to mobility – the foundation for equal participation in social, professional and public life.

We would like to thank all participants for their attendance, involvement and openness in the conversation about how to create transportation that is truly accessible to everyone. Your experiences, comments and recommendations are crucial – it is through them that we can design solutions that respond to the real needs of passengers.

Together we have shown that accessibility is not an add-on, but the foundation of modern mobility. Thank you for your contribution to the Mobility Parliament and for working together to build transportation that serves everyone.