Overview
- The federal disability commissioner, Jürgen Dusel, said Tuesday that many station lifts stop working for weeks and that bus stops in rural areas still have steps and narrow spaces that block access.
- An ADAC audit of about 150 tram and bus stops found only roughly 20 percent of tram stops and 3 percent of bus stops met recommended curb‑to‑vehicle distances for level boarding, and many stops lack transverse tactile strips for blind travellers.
- A concrete Swiss case reported July 20 shows an 81‑year‑old with a rollator riding to a line’s terminus to avoid a steep ramp at Uster station while SBB keeps the site classified as barrier‑free and says it will not add lifts because of reliability and capacity concerns.
- Operators say large shares of stations are officially 'step‑free'—figures cited around 79–90 percent—but independent reporting finds frequent lift failures (about 179 daily failures among roughly 2,000 lifts) and mobility assistance that must be booked in advance and often ends by 20:00–22:00.
- Responsibility for upgrades is split between the federal rail operator, states and municipalities, the 2022 Personenbeförderungsgesetz deadline was not met, and advocates say the gap between declarations and daily reliability risks curbing independence and spontaneity for the estimated 13 million people with disabilities in Germany.