Accessible journeys pilot project

On this page

• Purpose
• Background
• Issues
• Changes
• Bus stops
• Links

Purpose

The primary purpose of the accessible journeys pilot is to feed the findings of this project into the setting of national quality vehicle standards for public transport in New Zealand.

If it is better for individuals with disabilities it will be better for everyone.

A varity of changes at selected stops and onboard the CBD buses have been made to identify what works best and to establish best practice procedures.

It is therefore vitally important that those with accessibility issues use the service, assess the changes and give us their feedback. Online and onboard feedback forms will be available from 28 July.

Background

Using public transport can be difficult for disabled, elderly, parents or larger people. They may have problems with aisle width, bus ramp angles, wheelchair restraints, and a lack of alternate forms of information on the bus and at bus stops.

Environment Waikato along with representatives from CCS Disability Action Group, Hamilton City Council, Land Transport New Zealand, Human Rights Commission and Royal NZ Foundation of the Blind are combining their efforts to make public transport more accessible for all.

The accessible journeys pilot team has been working together for the past 12 months, researching current bus network standards from around the world. They have then used this information along with feedback from users with accessibility issues as the basis for change and implementation of the Hamilton accessible journeys pilot.

Hamilton’s heavily used CBD Shuttle route has been chosen for the pilot because of its proximity to the transport centre, inner city shops and bus stops that link to the suburbs. Because this is a pilot, there are different changes at selected stops and onboard the CBD buses. This is the first pilot of its kind in New Zealand.  

What are the issues?	What changes are being made?
Aisle width onboard buses Wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs have difficulty moving around in buses.	The aisles are being widened so that wheelchair users, parents with push chairs and walker users can move more freely. Four seats will be removed to provide more space.
Seating arrangements Restraints and seating are not stable and wheelchair users find this uncomfortable.	Currently all buses only have side facing seating options for wheelchair users. One pilot shuttle will have one sideways and one forward facing arrangement and the other will have forward and rear facing options. There will be new restraint mechanisms in both shuttle buses to reduce the movement of wheel chairs during journeys.
Identifiable bus stops Vision impaired passengers have trouble finding the bus stops.	There will be three bus stops along the route that will have different tactile arrangements. It is hoped that from these stops one method can be identified as being the most effective. Seating will also be installed at these stops.
Getting off the bus It is difficult for passengers with hearing or vision impairments to know where their stop is.	Voice recorded audio and an LCD screen with the next stop displayed should give the hearing and vision impaired better information. There will also be real-time at three of the five modified stops. (see bus stops below)
Cambers at bus stops These are too steep for wheelchair and walker users.	Two bus stops (Liverpool St and Anglesea St – opposite the transport centre) will have modified curb heights to allow for the camber of the road. A good example of an accessible bus stop is the new Waikato Hospital stop.

Accessible journey pilot bus stops 

   Transport Centre (the link to the whole Hamilton network):

• raised kerb height
• tactile plates
• real-time.  

   Caro St (HCC):

   Iguanas Victoria St:

• tactile plates (studded).

   Les Mills Victoria St (Links with several northern primary routes):

• tactile plates
• real-time.

   Liverpool St (outside the op-shop):

• raised kerb height and landing pad
• tactile plates
• real-time. 

Links to pilot partners websites

Access Hamilton

Land Transport New Zealand

CCS Disability Action

The Royal Foundation for the Blind

Human Rights Commission