Better accessibility to public infrastructure for disabled people in Iași, Romania

The Romanian municipality along with civil society will make street sidewalks friendlier and accessible for people with reduced mobility

The Romanian municipality of Iași will work towards improving the conditions of public infrastructure for people with disabilities. At the end of last year, Iași signed a partnership agreement with the local NGO Alliance for Promoting Alternative Transport in Iași (APTA Iași).

‘Iași - Accessible to All’ is a plan to modernise street infrastructure and implement European standards and regulations regarding public space availability for people who need special assistance.

Promote improved access to public infrastructure for disabled people

The first project, approved at the beginning of 2021, has goals of improving access conditions to ramps in line with EU regulations, redesigning public transportation stations, adding traffic lights with audio signals and implementing tactile paving for the blind and visually impaired.

The President of APTA Iasi, Alex Luchici, said: “At the moment, although a certain degree of accessibility exists when it comes to the public transportation system, it will need to be correlated with the plan for updating the overall infrastructure. These improvements will be beneficial not only for the people living with disabilities but also for the elderly, small children, parents carrying baby strollers and pregnant women.

Now that we have established an ongoing dialogue with the Local Administration of Iași we also hope, in the future, to extend these improvements to public institutions as well, by adapting the local services and raising awareness. In order to achieve these goals, a holistic vision and approach are necessary, in the same constructive spirit of collaboration as manifested by the local authorities and the civil society.”

A working group at the City Hall will be established to help improve the citizens' quality of life by adapting the public street infrastructure for all people and increasing the accessibility in Iași. The working group will include a representative from APTA. The representative will also conduct checks on the quality of materials and works on pedestrian zones in the city.

This partnership will bring the city one step closer to participating in the annual ‘Access City Award’ organised by the European Commission.