Concessions on rail transport for blind and partially sighted people and their guides/guide dogs

BACKGROUND

The EBU Commission on Mobility and Guide Dogs conducted a survey on rail transport concessions for blind and partially sighted people and their guides/guide dogs. Findings show great disparity in concession levels across Europe, but two major concession levels can be identified :

- No reduction for the blind traveller and free ticket for the guide, or one full price ticket for both (e.g. Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland),

- Reduction of 50 % for both the blind traveller and guide (e.g. Albania, Greece, Norway, Russia, Slovakia).

Generally, the presence of a guide dog is tolerated. It is not subject to the purchase of a ticket, except in a few countries (e.g. Denmark) where it is necessary to pay for the reservation of a seat.

International level

In EU countries (except Sweden and Portugal) concessions on transnational transport are mainly regulated by the Multilateral Agreement concerning the issuing of international rail tickets for blind people and their guides/guide dogs. According to this Agreement, when an international train ticket is bought in the country where the blindness identification card has been issued, the blind person pays for the whole of his/her ticket, and his/her guide travels free of charge. This also applies to guide dogs in many countries, but it should be noted that guide dogs are not allowed on trains to the United Kingdom and Ireland because of quarantine rules.

No concessions are applied to supplements such as couchette, intercity and high-speed trains (e.g. TGV in France).

The signatories of the Multilateral Agreement are :

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
France
Germany
Great Britain
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
The Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
Yugoslavia


Some signatories have special conventions with countries that have not signed the Agreement :

France with Norway, Sweden, Portugal
Romania with Moldova, Norway, countries in ex-Yugoslavia
Spain with Portugal


A significant exception is the EUROSTAR train that runs between Brussels, Paris and London through the Eurotunnel. On this train the blind traveller pays for the whole of his/her ticket and the guide has a 60 % reduction. Guide dogs are not allowed on EUROSTAR trains.

National, Regional and Local Level

As regards the national level, the most favourable concessions are found in Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg, where both the blind traveller and guide/guide dog travel free of charge. In Hungary, both the blind traveller and guide/guide dog travel with a 90 % reduction. In Ireland, while blind people under 18 travel free of charge at all times, those over 18 and guides travel free of charge only at certain times of the day.

In other countries, the blind person travels with no reduction or with a reduction of up to 50 % (up to 75 % in the Czech Republic and in Yugoslavia), whereas his/her guide travels free of charge or with a reduction of up to 50 %. Croatia provides a limited number of journeys free of charge or with sizeable reductions every year.

Notable exception to the above is Belgium where the blind person travels free of charge, whereas his/her guide does not get any reduction at all.

Some countries have no concessions at all (e.g. Armenia).

At regional level there is a tendency to apply the same concessions as in national transport.

At local level the best examples show that the blind and their guides/guide dogs travel free of charge. However, Italy and Austria stated that unfortunately such concessions are being taken away in some cities.

As far as the application of concessions to foreigners is concerned, in general the concessions guaranteed for the blind and their guides/guide dogs in one country are not given to people coming from other counties on short trips. However, there have also been exceptional cases in which concessions in force have been given, but this heavily depends on the willingness of staff at the ticket office in the foreign country. In France and Norway concessions in force are given to all foreigners. In Austria concessions on transport at national level are only given to members of the European Union. In Luxembourg concessions are given to foreign guides and guide dogs. In Belgium, Portugal, Russia and Spain concessions are only given to guide dogs of foreign travellers.

Conclusions

The analysis of the information gathered shows that, except in the case of Armenia, the current level of concessions for the blind and their guides/guide dogs throughout Europe is still good and does not differ greatly in richer and poorer countries. At national level, the range of concessions ranges between total gratuity for the blind and their guides/guide dogs, to tickets reduced by 50 %. However, it must be noted that improvements in the quality and speed of transport can sometimes lead to a decrease in concessions. For instance on French high-speed trains (TGV), guides have to pay for their seat reservation which, in certain periods of the year, can amount to 35 % of the ticket itself.

As far as transnational transport is concerned, countries which signed the Multilateral Agreement have assured a good standard of concessions when travelling from one of these countries to another. But it appears that, in some countries, this Agreement is not well known or is even ignored by the relevant authorities.

Another problem is that on the special brand-new EUROSTAR trains, which are run by a consortium of public and private railway companies, the blind pay for the whole of their ticket and the guides have only a 60 % reduction. This is a good example of threats to concessions caused by recent privatisation schemes of public transport.

The last issue concerning transnational journeys is the persistence of quarantine regulations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Because of these regulations, guide dogs cannot travel with their owners from mainland Europe to these islands, which makes it virtually impossible for a blind person with a guide dog to go to those countries on short trips.

Progress to Date

The issue of concessions on rail transport for blind and partially sighted people and their guides/guide dogs is high on the agenda of the EBU Commission on Mobility and Guide Dogs. The following resolution was tabled by the Commission and approved by the EBU Board at its Hurdal meeting (11-12 September 1999).

"Whereas, transnational concessions for the blind, partially sighted, guides and guide dogs are a right recognised by the International Agreement on Rail Transport, an agreement signed by 23 European countries ;

Whereas, in some cases, the relevant authorities in the signatory countries show little knowledge of this Agreement ;

BE IT RESOLVED that every effort must be made to ensure that every EBU Member Organisation is aware of the contents of this Agreement and has a copy of it in order to ensure that the blind travelling abroad can make the best use of their rights.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT
As a follow up of this action of standardisation, which is the result of a common understanding, every effort must be made to call upon governments and associations of/for the blind and partially sighted, to stimulate a pan-European agreement on the issuing of a Universal Travel Card with an internationally-recognised symbol on it which can give the blind and partially sighted travelling abroad all the travel concessions of national blind and partially sighted citizens".

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