JAPAN: Transreport has launched an online tool to make it easier for anyone with assistance requirements to request support at Hankyu Railway’s 87 stations. The commuter operator runs trains serving the Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe areas.
Passenger Assistance Web is designed to be user-friendly for people with a wide range of access needs, including wheelchair users and people with visual impairments. It is available in both Japanese and English, and is compatible with assistance technologies including screen readers.
Frontline staff can access advance information on requests, and passengers can save their requirements for future journeys.
Transreport conducted testing with disabled passengers and station staff, and will continue to gather feedback as it seeks to expand its technology to other operators.
‘It is about creating an extra layer of reassurance and a more seamless, comfortable travel experience for every passenger’, said Natsuko Kikawa, Head of Japan at Transreport.
Shuichiro Ejima, Manager of the Operations Sales Division at Hankyu Railway, said ‘we hope this system will be adopted by other railway operators, and contribute to the realisation of a society where those who need assistance can travel more freely and seamlessly’.
