Transportation
When designing disaster risk reduction plans and evacuation routes, it is important to consider how people with different needs and abilities will have to use the environment, which include issues of transportation and mobility as well as safety and security. All services and facilities should be easy to reach for everyone.
- Identify the requirements of persons with limited mobility, including persons with disabilities, older persons, pregnant women or families with small children, to reach services outside of the community in the event of an emergency.
- Make sure that transportation used for evacuation is accessible and available to everyone and provide support with transportation where necessary (i.e. adapted vehicles, staff support with movement, financial support etc.).
- Keep in mind that women and girls must be able to travel safe and might need accompaniment in some cases.
- When identifying distribution points for emergency response, ensure that those points are easy to reach and consult with persons with disabilities for best location.
- When public transport is available and accessible, identify if they stop at facilities and services such as: distribution- and water points, health services, collective centres, ATM or other Point of Sale terminals, schools, markets etc.
- When distributing cash transfer, consider additional cost for transportation which occur for persons with limited mobility (e.g. individual transport instead of public transport to reach markets).
- To increase participation in community meetings, DRR committees or community planning, make sure accessible transportation is available, enabling everyone to reach the venue safely and without obstacles.
Transportation is accessible when:
- The station/departure point is accessible.
- Passenger information is provided in accessible, understandable formats.
- Entrance of the transportation vehicle is accessible.
- Interior of the vehicle is accessible and safe, allowing movement without endangering oneself or others.
