Kassel transport company: From now on again more wheelchairs and e-scooters in bus and train
Like other transport companies, the Kasseler Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (KVG) has been registering an increasing demand for taking mobility equipment on its buses and trams for years. Until the spring of 2017, the KVG had left it to the decision of their drivers to place wheelchairs within the designated multi-purpose areas of the trams as needed, in order to enable as many as possible people with reduced mobility to travel. As part of an analysis of the status quo at that time, the KVG itself had conducted tests with wheelchairs and e-scooters set up on the tram in order to carry out a risk assessment. Based on the knowledge gained, the parking of wheelchairs has been only allowed transversely to the trams' direction of travel. However, this limited the number of mobility aids to one per multi-purpose area. As a result, the STUVA was commissioned by the KVG as a neutral institution to check the transverse positioning of wheelchairs in the trams, especially under the conditions of "safety and order in the workplace." Above all, a threat to third parties had to be ruled out.
In the report, which has now been completed, the STUVA, after extensive testing with various wheelchairs and electric scooters and all tram types of the KVG, comes to the conclusion that the placement of wheelchairs along the direction of travel of the tram is in principle the safest method of parking. However, the placement transverse to the direction of travel is also safe, if the following points are considered:
- For passages in the tram, a clear width of at least 450 mm must always be left to ensure safety and proper operation (even in an emergency).
- For this reason, the length of wheelchairs and electric vehicles may not exceed 1,200 mm. The aids are also to approach the side wall of the tram with the backrest as far as possible . In the area of the backrest, therefore, no additional attachments may be fixed or pieces of luggage attached, which increase the length of the mobility equipment.
- In a transverse position, wheelchairs must always be placed as close as possible to a lateral support on the front in the direction of travel of the tram to prevent slippage and tipping.
- Wheelchairs in the second (rear) position in the direction of travel should always be brought as close as possible to the wheelchair at the front position.
- If a wheelchair placed in the front position leaves its place, for the wheelchair that remains in second position the following applies: it must move up to the front in the direction of the tram or to a suitable place along the direction of the tram.
- When parking an electric powered wheelchair or scooter and a hand-driven wheelchair next to each other, the wheelchair with push-rims should always be placed in the rearmost position in the direction of travel of the tram due to its lower mass.
- Parking brakes on wheelchairs and electric scooters should always be activated after parking.
- Wheelchair users should - as far as possible and like other passengers - also hold on to handrails at the site in order to improve their security.
Additionally, STUVA has advised to carry out trainings for driving staff and wheelchair users to communicate and internalize the Code of Conduct.
As a result of the tests the transverse positioning of wheelchairs and e-scooters on the Kassel trams is allowed again on principle by KVG since 21 February 2018 under the the above-mentioned boundary conditions.
