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The report evaluates trial deployments in London and North Tyneside, covering passenger characteristics, ease of access, operational impacts, research methods, and costs to support assessment of accessibility benefits and implementation implications.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/transport-research-laboratory-trl-report-271-evaluation-of-low-floor-bus-trials-in-london-and-north-tyneside/295826/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/transport-research-laboratory-trl-report-271-evaluation-of-low-floor-bus-trials-in-london-and-north-tyneside/295826.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Mary Man","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-07","2026-09-18",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",15,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What mobility problems does the report identify with conventional buses and rail services?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The main problems are negotiating steps at a bus entrance/exit and dealing with the gap between platforms and trains. Wheelchair users, many ambulant disabled people, elderly and frail passengers, and parents using pushchairs face substantial barriers.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How do low-floor buses improve accessibility for different passenger groups?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Low-floor buses remove the need to negotiate steps, allowing pushchairs to be wheeled on/off without folding. A retractable ramp bridges horizontal and vertical gaps to enable wheelchair users to board and alight.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Where and how were the low-floor bus trials conducted?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"London used five selected routes with a total of sixty-eight single deck low-floor buses introduced between January and November 1994. North Tyneside operated six low-floor buses entering service in October 1994, with research methods used to evaluate access and passenger experiences.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},295826,1789724163,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":126},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":130},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":132},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":133,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":112,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":140,"language":141,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":142,"faqs":143,"seo_title":144,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":80,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},7421720224475,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","TRANSPORT RESEARCH LABORATORY  \nEvaluation of low-floor bus trials in London and North Tyneside  \nPrepared for Mobility Unit, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), Buses and Taxis Division DETR and the Unit for Disabled Passengers, LT  \nI York and R J Balcombe  \nTRL REPORT 271  \nFirst Published 1998  \nISSN 0968-4107  \nCopyright Transport Research Laboratory 1998.  \nThis report has been produced by the Transport Research Laboratory, under/as part ofa Contract placed by the Mobility Unit, DETR, Buses and Taxis Division DETR and the Unit for Disabled Passengers, LT. Any views expressed are not necessarily those of the Mobility Unit, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), Buses and Taxis Division DETR and Unit for Disabled Passengers, LT.  \nTRL is committed to optimising energy efficiency, reducing waste and promoting recycling and re-use. In support of these environmental goals, this report has been printed on recycled paper, comprising 100% post-consumer waste, manufactured using a TCF (totally chlorine free) process.  \nTransport Research Foundation Group of Companies  \nTransport Research Foundation (a company limited by guarantee) trading as Transport Research Laboratory. Registered in England, Number 3011746.  \nTRL Limited. Registered in England, Number 3142272.  \nRegistered Offices: Old Wokingham Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire, RG45 6AU.  \nCONTENTS  \nPage  \nExecutive Summary 1  \n1 Introduction 5  \n1.1 Background 5  \n1.2 The trial programme 5  \n1.3 Monitoring 5  \n2 The trials 5  \n2.1 The vehicles 5  \n2.2 The services 10  \n2.3 Infrastructure 12  \n2.4 Parking control near bus stops 12  \n3 Research methods 12  \n3.1 Video recordings 12  \n3.2 Classified passenger counts and bus stop timings 13  \n3.3 Bus passenger interviews 13  \n3.4 In-home interviews 14  \n3.5 Information from operators 15  \n3.6 Driver interviews 15  \n4 Passenger characteristics 16  \n4.1 Age and sex 16  \n4.2 Age and disability 16  \n4.3 Proportions of disabled passengers 16  \n4.4 Pushchair users 18  \n4.5 Difficulties in using buses 18  \n5 Ease of access 19  \n5.1 Passenger assessment 19  \n5.2 Analysis of video recordings 19  \n5.2.1 Difficulties boarding and alighting for ambulant disabled passengers 19  \n5.2.2 Passengers with pushchairs 21  \n5.3 Boarding and alighting times 21  \n6 Difficulties in using low-floor buses 22  \n6.1 Boarding and alighting 22  \n6.1.1 Failure to stop near kerb 22  \n6.1.2 Failure to kneel 22  \n6.1.3 Failure to deploy ramp 23  \n6.1.4 Handrails 23  \nPage  \n6.2 Moving and standing in the vehicle 23  \n6.2.1 Overcrowding 23  \n6.2.2 Standing 24  \n6.2.3 Handrails 24  \n6.2.4 Ride quality 25  \n6.3 Service characteristics 25  \n7 Passenger preferences and evaluation 25  \n7.1 Preferred bus type 25  \n7.2 Route preference 27  \n7.3 Advantages oflow-floor buses for less mobile people 27  \n7.3.1 Ambulant disabled passengers 28  \n7.3.2 Wheelchair users 28  \n7.3.3 Passengers with pushchairs 29  \n7.4 User evaluation of low-floor buses 29  \n7.4.1 Sample sizes 29  \n7.4.2 Valuation of the low-floor bus 30  \n8 Patronage 30  \n8.1 Patronage statistics from operators 31  \n8.2 Reported changes in bus use 31  \n9 Operational implications 32  \n9.1 Bus stop timing surveys 32  \n9.2 Alighting and boarding time analysis 33  \n9.2.1 Alighting times 33  \n9.2.2 Boarding times 33  \n9.2.3 Dead times 35  \n9.3 Effects on journey times 35  \n9.3.1 North Tyneside 36  \n9.3.2 London 36  \n10 Operating costs 36  \n10.1 Fuel consumption 37  \n10.2 Average cost of repairs 37  \n10.3 Extra cost of running low-floor buses 38  \n10.4 Capacity considerations 38  \n11 Discussion 39  \n12 Conclusions 39  \n13 References 40  \nNotes 40  \nAbstract 41  \nRelated publications 41  \nExecutive Summary   \nA substantial number of existing public transport passengers have some degree of mobility impairment and consequently experience difficulties in using conventional bus and rail services. One of the main problems is negotiating steps at the entrance and exit of a bus","cbCaioDLzDMYgeR6","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaioDLzDMYgeR6","pdf",944727,46,"English","# Executive Summary\n# 1 Introduction\n## 1.1 Background\n## 1.2 The trial programme\n## 1.3 Monitoring\n# 2 The trials\n## 2.1 The vehicles\n## 2.2 The services\n## 2.3 Infrastructure\n## 2.4 Parking control near bus stops\n# 3 Research methods\n## 3.1 Video recordings\n## 3.2 Classified passenger counts and bus stop timings\n## 3.3 Bus passenger interviews\n## 3.4 In-home interviews\n## 3.5 Information from operators\n## 3.6 Driver interviews\n# 4 Passenger characteristics\n## 4.1 Age and sex\n## 4.2 Age and disability\n## 4.3 Proportions of disabled passengers\n## 4.4 Pushchair users\n## 4.5 Difficulties in using buses\n# 5 Ease of access\n## 5.1 Passenger assessment\n## 5.2 Analysis of video recordings\n## 5.3 Boarding and alighting times\n# 6 Difficulties in using low-floor buses\n## 6.1 Boarding and alighting\n## 6.2 Moving and standing in the vehicle\n## 6.3 Service characteristics\n# 7 Passenger preferences and evaluation\n## 7.1 Preferred bus type\n## 7.2 Route preference\n## 7.3 Advantages of low-floor buses for less mobile people\n## 7.4 User evaluation of low-floor buses\n# 8 Patronage\n## 8.1 Patronage statistics from operators\n## 8.2 Reported changes in bus use\n# 9 Operational implications\n## 9.1 Bus stop timing surveys\n## 9.2 Alighting and boarding time analysis\n## 9.3 Effects on journey times\n# 10 Operating costs\n## 10.1 Fuel consumption\n## 10.2 Average cost of repairs\n## 10.3 Extra cost of running low-floor buses\n## 10.4 Capacity considerations\n# 11 Discussion\n# 12 Conclusions\n# 13 References","[{\"question\":\"What mobility problems does the report identify with conventional buses and rail services?\",\"answer\":\"The main problems are negotiating steps at a bus entrance/exit and dealing with the gap between platforms and trains. Wheelchair users, many ambulant disabled people, elderly and frail passengers, and parents using pushchairs face substantial barriers.\"},{\"question\":\"How do low-floor buses improve accessibility for different passenger groups?\",\"answer\":\"Low-floor buses remove the need to negotiate steps, allowing pushchairs to be wheeled on/off without folding. A retractable ramp bridges horizontal and vertical gaps to enable wheelchair users to board and alight.\"},{\"question\":\"Where and how were the low-floor bus trials conducted?\",\"answer\":\"London used five selected routes with a total of sixty-eight single deck low-floor buses introduced between January and November 1994. North Tyneside operated six low-floor buses entering service in October 1994, with research methods used to evaluate access and passenger experiences.\"}]","Transport Research Laboratory - TRL Report 271 - Evaluation of Low-Floor Bus Trials in London and North Tyneside | PDF",116]