Ordinance of November 12, 2003 on Arrangements to Ensure Access for Persons with Disabilities to Public Transportation (OThand) - Purpose (VBÖV)

This ordinance specifies how public transportation must be arranged to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities (persons with disabilities).

To this end, it determines the functional requirements imposed on the equipment, vehicles, and service offerings of public transportation.

This ordinance applies to: a. the equipment and vehicles of public transport (Art. 3, let. b, Disability Discrimination Act); b. all publicly accessible services offered by public transport companies (Art. 3, let. e, Disability Discrimination Act).

Public transport companies consist of concessionary transport companies.

Among the equipment, vehicles, and service offerings of public transport are notably included: a. access to buildings and facilities; b. locations where a public transport vehicle boards or disembarks passengers (stops); c. platforms; d. customer service counters; e. information systems, communication systems, ticketing systems, reservation systems, and emergency call systems; f. restrooms and parking spaces that are part of stops and mainly used by travelers; g. ancillary services within the meaning of Art. 39, para. 1, of the Federal Railways Act of 20 December 1957; h. the design of vehicle entrances and exits, as well as door opening systems; i. stop-request systems installed inside vehicles and at stops, with on-request stops.

Persons with disabilities who are able to use public spaces autonomously should also be able to use public transport services independently.

If autonomy cannot be guaranteed through technical measures, public transport companies provide the necessary assistance through their staff.

Public transport companies should minimize the requirement for advance notification specifically for persons with disabilities.

A service mandated by the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) manages an information platform, accessible to the public, on arrangements to ensure access for persons with disabilities to public transport stops in Switzerland.

Infrastructure managers of interoperable sections referred to in Art. 15a, para. 1, let. a, of the Ordinance of 23 November 1983 on Railways have until 16 June 2022 to provide on this platform the information referred to in Arts. 7 and 7bis of Regulation (EU) No. 1300/2014 concerning their rail transport stops with respect to compliance with the needs of persons with disabilities.

Other public transport companies have until 31 December 2023 to provide information on the platform regarding stop compliance with the needs of persons with disabilities.

All public transport companies continuously verify their information on the platform and update it as necessary.

If stops are not owned by the public transport company, the owners of these stops are required to communicate any changes made to them.

Equipment and vehicles intended for passengers and having a direct functional relationship with public transport must, in a safe manner, be recognizable, accessible, and usable by persons with disabilities.

Persons with disabilities must have access to a sufficiently large portion of the space reserved for passengers.

Journeys and stops accessible to people in wheelchairs should, if possible, be appropriately indicated in network documents and timetables.

Access to public transport facilities and vehicles must be guaranteed: a. for manually or electrically powered wheelchairs with an overall weight of up to 300 kg: 1. with a maximum length of 1200 mm plus 50 mm for the feet, 2. with a maximum width of 700 mm plus 50 mm on each side for the hands when the chair is in motion; b. for walkers.

As a general rule, public transportation means must also be accessible to travelers using wheelchairs with disengageable electric motors, electric scooters for disabled persons, or similar vehicles.

Access to public transportation means must also be guaranteed to disabled persons dependent on guide dogs or assistance dogs.

Public transport companies duly take into account the operational risks to which persons with disabilities are particularly exposed when they are in facilities and vehicles.

The furniture elements and the doors at stops must be easily recognizable. Shelters and waiting rooms must be designed to be easily recognizable and accessible to persons with disabilities.

Control elements such as door opening and closing systems and stop request systems must be arranged to be accessible to persons with disabilities. They must be standardized.

Toilets must be arranged to be usable by persons with limited mobility due to age and by visually impaired persons. They must be accessible, in sufficient number, to persons in wheelchairs.

The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications shall issue provisions on the technical requirements for the design of stations, stops, airfields, communication systems, ticketing systems, and vehicles.

The disbursement and reimbursement of federal financial aid are governed by the provisions of the Subsidies Act of 5 October 1990.

The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) ensures that the requirements and conditions related to financial aid are respectively executed and fulfilled.