유니버설디자인 관점에서의 저상버스 개선방안

Abstract

(Background and Purpose) The Seoul Metropolitan Government has been introducing low-floor buses since 2004 to guarantee the mobility rights of the transportation vulnerable and the introduction rate has been increasing every year to 70.2%, but the inconvenience of users using low-floor buses has not been resolved. Various users, including the transportation vulnerable, are having difficulty recognizing bus facilities and bus operation information. Accordingly, this study was promoted with the aim of presenting improvement measures from the perspective of universal design that will be used to improve bus operation information that can be conveniently used by all users using low-floor buses. (Method) Prior research and case analyses related to domestic and foreign bus services and on-site surveys on low-floor buses and non-step buses in Osaka, Japan, have been conducted by the H Transportation Company in Seoul. In addition, an experiential analysis of the transportation vulnerability is undertaken to derive inconveniences and ideas for improving bus use. Synthesis of the survey contents and analysis presents a plan to enhance low-floor buses. (Results) We identify the following requirements: ensuring visibility of bus entrances and exits, providing free space for designated wheelchair users, installing safety bars to ensure safety for wheelchair users, establishing a sufficient number of exit bells and unifying their heights considering the number of passengers, disembarking bells for the transport-vulnerable and general exit bells separation from passengers, securing visibility to recognize steps, applying LCD-type driving information display, improving graphics for the transport-vulnerable, installing emergency hammers for about one-third of passengers, ensuring visibility to recognize the location of emergency hammer installation, and boarding for transport-vulnerable people. The advance information notifications for passengers in all vehicles should be improved. Other findings suggest improving human services and bus dispatch intervals and developing a boarding reservation system for the transport-disadvantaged. (Conclusions) This study highlights issues with low-floor bus facilities and operation information and demands for improving human services and developing boarding reservation systems for the transportation vulnerable; however, these elements have not been included in standard improvement plans. Therefore, for field applications based on improvement measures, an integrated approach involving various stakeholders, such as low-floor bus manufacturers, local governments, and operators, and in-depth research, is needed. The plan to improve low-floor buses from the perspective of universal design presented in this study is expected to provide sound data for improving bus service designs in the future.