According to the press office of the Moscow Department of Transport, by 2023 more than 70% of the Moscow Metro stations will be equipped with the audio navigation. This follows the request of theMoscow branch of the All-Russian Association of the Blind, - states the message.
The press service explained that sound beacons will help passengers with visual impairment to navigate in all stations of the Big Circle Line (BCL), such beaconswill be installed above the entrances to the metro lobbies and underground crossings.
According to the Moscow Department of Transport,the beacon emits a monotonous short periodic sound. Its volume can be adjusted manually or set to automatic mode. It will help elderly passengers and people with visual impairments to find the entrance to the metro easier.
«On behalf of the Mayor of Moscow, we are making urban transport more convenient for people with disabilities. For example, we are implementing audio navigation system. This year we have already installed 60 audio devices in 45 metro stations. The Passenger Mobility Centre service, created specifically to assist passengers with moving around on the urban transport, is also continuing to develop. For 9 months this year the center inspectors escorted more than 41 thousand passengers», – said Maksim Liksutov, theDeputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport.
The Passenger Mobility Centre of the Moscow Metro assists passengers with hearing, visual, motor disabilities, and the elderly. In 2021, the Passenger Mobility Centre has won the international CommunitasAwards in the category «Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility».