The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) convened an advocacy workshop aimed to raise awareness, clarify stakeholders’ roles, and identify measures to improve the accessibility of public transport services for persons with disabilities on May 12, 2026, in Addis Ababa.
Participants included representatives and officials from the FDRE Ministry of Transport and Logistics, Addis Ababa City Transport Bureau, Traffic Management Authority, City Bus Service Enterprise, Women, Children, and Social Affairs Bureau, as well as representatives of taxi associations and terminal enterprises.
During the discussion, positive developments and persisting challenges regarding the accessibility of transport services for persons with disabilities and older persons were presented and discussed. Key challenges highlighted included: the absence of specialized accessibility equipment on public transport vehicles; malfunctioning equipment in some vehicles; lack of safe and accessible infrastructure, particularly at bus stops and pedestrian walkways; and insufficient audible and visual informational and directional signage; reliance on individual goodwill rather than formal protocols for priority and support services; and persistent gaps in societal social attitudes and awareness.
On the other hand, the existence of laws, policies, and guidelines aimed at ensuring accessibility of transport services to persons with disabilities and the elderly, the ongoing preparation of designated parking spaces for persons with disabilities, and the preparation of a policy requiring newly imported vehicles to meet appropriate accessibility standards were among the issues positively highlighted during the discussion.
Furthermore, participants of the discussion stated collaborative efforts from relevant institutions are essential to ensure accessibility of transport services to persons with disabilities and the elderly.
Yosef Girma, Head of Monitoring and Investigation for the EHRC Addis Ababa Office, urged stakeholders to prioritize and work towards ensuring that persons with disabilities and the elderly have equal access to transport services and to guarantee the accessibility of the service. He further called for the finalization and implementation of ongoing policy preparations and similar initiatives that address the challenges faced by persons with disabilities and the elderly within the transport sector.