German municipalities host bus safety training for seniors

Local authorities in Rüsselsheim and Memmingen are conducting training sessions to help seniors and passengers with mobility aids, such as rollators, navigate public buses more safely.

In Rüsselsheim, the Rüsselsheimer Mobilitätsgesellschaft (RMG) and the Senior Advisory Board organized a demonstration at Friedensplatz. Traffic expert Ali Myumyunov instructed participants on how to use bus ramps and suggested moving backward when exiting a bus to better manage height differences at non-barrier-free stops. RMG Managing Director Michael Niere encouraged passengers to communicate with drivers to ensure ramps are deployed. Currently, approximately half of the 180 stops served by RMG are barrier-free.

In Memmingen, a free training event titled ‘Sicher unterwegs im Linienverkehr’ (Safe on Public Transport) is scheduled for August 31. Organized by the Senior Specialist Office, the Senior and Disability Advisory Board, and the Inclusion Office, the session allows citizens to practice boarding and exiting a bus under realistic conditions. The training aims to increase confidence in using public transit for elderly residents and those using wheelchairs or rollators.