Follow-up of accessibility in public transport
Overview
Background & policy context:
The Accessibility strategy of the Ministry of Transport and Communications ("Towards Accessible Transport") was compiled in 2003. The ELSA research and development programme for Accessibility (2003-2006) was launched to support the implementations of the accessibility strategy. The goal of the programme was to increase awareness in the municipal sector and among transport service providers, authorities and the public of the importance of accessibility. It aimed to promote the introduction of accessibility in daily work, and to produce and disseminate information of good practices. Special focus areas were public transport and pedestrian environments.
One of the results of the ELSA programme was the recommendation that the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the State Provincial Offices, the Finnish Rail Administration and the Finnish Road Administration should be more active in demanding and following the accessibility of public transport.
Objectives:
The aim of this research was to examine the current situation and development needs of follow-up and measurement of accessibility in public transport as well as documentation of accessibility information. Especially, the focus of the report was how the progress of accessibility in public transport could be best evaluated in the activities of the traffic departments in the State Provincial Offices, the Finnish Rail Administration and the Finnish Road Administration, and how this evaluation could be integrated into a natural part of the performance guidance process and activities of the offices.
Methodology:
The research consisted of proposals and arguments for indicators describing the accessibility of different parts of public transport system. A final opinion on the precise indicators was not made, but those issues were defined which are worth monitoring and which can be monitored today.
A more detailed specification of input indicators should be made in organisations responsible for follow-up considering the possibilities of data collection and the relevance of an input indicator for the operation and guidance of an organisation.
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