Public Bus Transport on the Ring Road in Iceland: Current Status of and Responsibility for Wheelchair Users
Translated title
Offentlig Bus Transport på Islands Ringevej: Nuværende status og ansvar for tilgængelighed for kørestolsbrugere
Author
Ingólfsdóttir, Harpa Cilia
Term
4. term
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-01-07
Pages
53
Abstract
Mange mennesker kan vælge, hvordan de rejser, men personer, der bruger kørestol, møder ofte barrierer. For offentlig buskørsel handler tilgængelighed ikke kun om at komme ind i en bus. Det handler også om at kunne stå af sikkert og komme ind i bygninger ved stop undervejs, for eksempel butikker og restauranter for mad og toiletbesøg. Dette speciale er et casestudie af den offentlige buskørsel på Ringvejen i Island. Det undersøger, hvor tilgængelig ruten er for kørestolsbrugere, der vil rejse mellem lokalsamfund, byer og landsbyer i landdistrikterne. Undersøgelsen ser på tre dele af rejsen: køretøjerne (busserne), de fysiske busstoppesteder og de tilbud langs vejen, såsom butikker og restauranter med toiletter og madservering. Arbejdet ser også på infrastrukturen og operatørerne, samt på hvem der ejer og driver de virksomheder, som betjener buspassagerer. Et centralt spørgsmål er, hvem der har ansvaret for tilgængelighed i hver del af rejsen. For at belyse dette anvender specialet et casestudie og interviews med repræsentanter for centrale interessenter. Analysen er guidet af teorien om universelt design, som går ud på at udforme rum og tjenester, så de kan bruges af så mange som muligt, herunder personer med handicap. Målet er at drøfte, hvordan lige adgang til offentlig busrejse kan og bør se ud, og hvad der skal til for at opnå det på Ringvejen.
Many people can choose how they travel, but wheelchair users often face barriers. For public buses, accessibility is not only about getting on a bus. It also means being able to get off safely and enter buildings at stopovers, such as shops and restaurants for food and restrooms. This thesis is a case study of public bus transport on the Ring Road in Iceland. It examines how accessible this route is for wheelchair users who want to travel between rural communities, towns, and villages. The study looks at three parts of the journey: the vehicles (buses), the physical bus stop locations, and the services along the way, such as shops and restaurants with restrooms and food. It also considers the infrastructure and the operators involved, as well as who owns and manages the businesses that serve bus passengers. A key question is who is responsible for accessibility at each stage of the trip. To address this, the thesis uses a case study approach and interviews with representatives of key stakeholders. The analysis is guided by the theory of Universal Design, which promotes designing spaces and services so they can be used by as many people as possible, including people with disabilities. The aim is to discuss what equal access to public bus travel could and should look like, and what it would take to achieve it along the Ring Road.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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