Double alarm: how accessible is public transport for the disabled
The State Duma adopted amendments to the Air Code of the Russian Federation, thanks to which passengers in wheelchairs with a removable battery will be able to use their seat at the airport without transferring to the means of transportation provided by the terminal services. This rule has so far been one of the barriers that has made life much more difficult for people with musculoskeletal disorders when traveling. However, this is not the only obstacle. Izvestia investigated what else can be improved at train stations, airports, and public transport in general to make it more accessible to people with disabilities.
What will change for disabled people at airports
This week, State Duma deputies adopted amendments to the Russian Air Code in the second and third readings. Passengers will now be able to travel in their own electric wheelchairs with a removable battery pack before boarding the aircraft. The rule comes into force on March 1, 2026.
Until now, passengers had to hand over their electric wheelchair at check-in and change to another one provided by airport staff. It was extremely uncomfortable for many people with disabilities — often traveling in someone else's wheelchair led to injuries.
Deputy Natalia Kaptelinina, who uses a wheelchair herself, compared it to her personal shoes and noted that her back quickly gets tired and sore in other people's wheelchairs. Another problem: the airport staff escorts a wheelchair user to the waiting area to board the flight, but then leaves them waiting for boarding to begin. In this case, without an accompanying person, the disabled person can only sit in place, regardless of their desires and needs.
Now, if necessary, there will be only one transfer — directly on the plane.
The new law also prescribes the rules for transferring from a personal wheelchair to an airport-provided chair: passengers are required to be informed about the time and place of this procedure.
A lot of attention has been paid to informing passengers in general: now carriers, tour operators, and services will have to share information with each other about requests from passengers with disabilities for special services in order to create a continuous service chain. In addition, information about the availability of ambulifts (special devices for lifting a wheelchair into the cabin of an airplane) at the airport should be posted on the websites of organizations serving passengers. Separate regulations related to passenger information will become effective on September 1, 2028.
Are airports accessible to the disabled
Mikhail Terentyev, deputy of the State Duma, chairman of the All-Russian Society of the Disabled, notes that air transport has become one of the most convenient for wheelchair users. This was largely facilitated by the work carried out in the early 2010s in preparation for the Olympics and Paralympics. Then the procedure for the work of support services for people with limited mobility, the need for ambulances, etc. was fixed.
Further work, says the State Duma deputy, concerns not so much the Air Code as the overall development of airport infrastructure. He is confident that the set of rules for creating a barrier-free environment is already exhaustive, it just needs to be "wisely used" when creating the appropriate infrastructure.
— Further development, I think, requires the support and support of people with mental disabilities, — continued the interlocutor of Izvestia. — We need to develop escort services and facilitate more comfortable movement of people.
Igor Gunderov, an expert at the Popular Front and chairman of the board of the Moscow regional public organization for the disabled, Kolesnitsa, agrees that the overall level of accessibility at Russian airports and train stations is progressively improving, but in his opinion, it is still far from fully complying with the principles of an accessible environment.
— Significant gaps remain. Firstly, the regulations do not apply to owners of strollers with non-removable batteries: they are still prohibited from staying in their wheelchair until boarding. Secondly, there is no mandatory requirement to publish online information about ambulances and charging points 24 hours before the flight - it comes into force only in 2028. Thirdly, there are no harsh sanctions for delayed escorts or denial of service," he told Izvestia.
In addition, the expert emphasizes, uniform minimum technical standards have not yet been introduced for all airports: the width of doors, the angle of ramps, the availability of tactile navigation and adapted toilets vary from region to region.
Igor Gunderov emphasizes that the largest hubs — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Pulkovo — are showing significant progress: ambulances have appeared there, there are trained staff, special stands and bathrooms.
— However, even there, the service is often "on demand" — with delays, and waiting areas are removed from the main streams. At regional airports, the situation remains quite critical: there are no ramps, elevators, tactile markings, and staff are not always ready to work with passengers with limited mobility. The prosecutor's office regularly identifies violations at small airports," the expert draws attention to.
The press service of the Federal Air Transport Agency stressed that a lot of work is being done at Russian airports to adapt the infrastructure to the needs of passengers with disabilities. Airports, in accordance with Article 106.1 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation, are required to provide free support and assistance to disabled people when moving around the territory; to ensure boarding and disembarking from an aircraft, including using an ambulift; to provide wheelchairs for temporary use to move around the terminal.
In turn, Kirill Mikhalchenko, deputy head of Rostransnadzor, said in a comment to Izvestia that there are 241 air terminals in the country. Of these, 231 meet the requirements. Moreover, 40% of the total number of airport employees are now trained to work with people with disabilities. 225 civil aviation facilities are fully equipped for people with disabilities with impaired functions of the musculoskeletal system.
What should a modern airport look like?
Daria Turkina, CEO of the architectural studio BOHAN studio, emphasizes that it is important to rethink the concept of "airport" or "train station" in general.
— It has long been not just a meeting place for an airplane or train, but a multifunctional hub: people work here, relax, shop and spend hours waiting for transfers. Therefore, accessibility should be part of the basic architecture," she told Izvestia.
According to her, the regulations are now being formally implemented, and ramps and elevators are not integrated into real routes. She calls the solution the universal design of the new premises: wide corridors, areas for wheelchair turns, special compartments on the escape routes, multi-format navigation (visual, tactile, sound) integrated into the architecture.
Elena Skripkina, Head of the master plan department at DOMO Spacerunners architectural bureau, emphasizes that the key principle should be a continuous barrier-free route from entry to boarding an airplane or train.
The Federal Air Transport Agency emphasized in a comment to Izvestia that all modern airport complexes are designed taking into account the requirements of the federal law "On Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in the Russian Federation" and two orders of the Ministry of Transport on the procedure for providing services to passengers with disabilities at airports and on passenger service requirements.
What is the situation at the train stations
According to Mikhail Terentyev, railway transport facilities are in second place in terms of accessibility for the disabled. It's not just about train stations — there are already special carriages for wheelchair users.
— Russian Railways is currently designing and will subsequently put into operation new wagons, where it will be convenient to accommodate a wheelchair, — said the State Duma deputy. — Of course, we will need to increase the number of seats, because there are more and more disabled people among travelers.
Mikhail Terentyev puts public transport in third place in terms of accessibility: large cities are increasingly paying attention to the purchase of low-floor buses. But there are big problems with intercity motor transport, he is sure: so far, bus stations are poorly adapted for people with disabilities. Water transport remains unavailable. The deputy emphasizes that this is a very important job, especially since there are more and more participants in a special military operation in cities who find it difficult to move due to amputations. At the same time, the law on social protection of the disabled already imposes all the necessary requirements for accessibility of transport.
The Resource Charitable Foundation, which works mainly with children with musculoskeletal disorders in St. Petersburg, with reference to a survey of its wards, emphasizes that the situation has been improving recently: escort services are working well, especially at major transport hubs, it is possible to travel by public transport, and there are ramps almost everywhere. although they are not always convenient. But the situation can be called good only in the most "passable" points of St. Petersburg and those cities where the foundation's wards were located. In places with less traffic, there are problems with escorts, which sometimes means you have to change routes.
Igor Gunderov emphasizes that while aviation has clear federal standards and liability mechanisms, rail and bus transport still do not have them.
— Urgent legislative measures are required here: to introduce mandatory technical requirements for all train stations, to fix the "quick order" of escorts without prior appointment, to provide round-the-clock access to bathrooms and to impose fines for failure to provide the declared services. Without this, accessibility will remain formal," he is confident.
By the way, Rostransnadzor's data does not confirm the thesis that rail transport is in second place in terms of accessibility. According to the agency, in 2024, out of 1,319 railway stations, only 133 met the accessibility requirements for all nosologies of people with disabilities — 10%. This is 0.7% more than in 2023.
"At the same time, the share of passenger—forming railway stations accessible to the disabled increased from 29.5% to 30.5% (from 76 to 80)," Kirill Mikhalchenko told Izvestia. — Such stations provide services for about 70% of passengers.
As for bus terminals and bus stations, 54% of the 1,097 facilities meet the requirements of the visually impaired, 60% for people with hearing disabilities and 43% for passengers with musculoskeletal difficulties. If we talk specifically about transport, then 40% of buses are accessible to the visually impaired, 34% — for the hearing impaired and 28% — with musculoskeletal disorders.
In the first nine months of 2025, the interregional departments of Rostransnadzor initiated 1,099 administrative cases after visits to bus stations under Article 9.13 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation on evading the requirements for accessibility of transport infrastructure facilities for the disabled. The total amount of fines imposed is more than 6.6 million rubles.
In railway transport, Rostransnadzor inspectors issued 1201 warnings in 2024, and 720 warnings in the first half of 2025.
Mikhail Terentyev notes that there is also the issue of personal transport. Deputies have already appealed to the Moscow government several times with a proposal to expand parking privileges and when driving in dedicated lanes for people with disabilities who drive cars themselves.
— But so far neither the Moscow government nor the federal government has heard us. Of course, there is room for further development here," he said.
Izvestia also sent requests to the Ministry of Transport and Rostransnadzor.
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