We will be happy to help you get on and off the bus and tram. We are also happy to help you with your individual journey planning.
Below you will find information for:
- Passengers with impaired vision
- Passengers with manual wheelchairs
- Passengers with a rollator
- Passengers with invisible disabilities or illnesses
Information on the accessibility of our vehicles
Our Combino and Flexity low-floor trams are equipped with a folding ramp. The folding ramp and wheelchair spaces are located by the second door.
Older tram compositions generally have at least one low-floor entrance (trailer), but without a folding ramp. For safety reasons, it is not possible to transport people in electric wheelchairs in these vehicles.
All our buses can be lowered at the stops. They all have a folding ramp.
Passengers with impaired vision
| Getting on board | Wait at the stop by the first door. The driver will inform you of the line number and direction of travel when you board. The stops are announced in High German over the loudspeakers in the vehicle. | |
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| Information about departure times and disruptions |
Stops with a dynamic passenger display (DFI) are continuously equipped with a text-to-speech function. This reads out the departure times and any disruption messages at the touch of a button. In the event of a disruption, we will also inform you via loudspeakers during the day at the main transfer stops (SBB railway station, Bankverein, Barfüsserplatz, Marktplatz, Claraplatz, Badischer Bahnhof, St. Jakob). | |
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| Ticket machines | Our ticket machines have a special mode for people with visual impairments: by touching the top right-hand corner of the screen, the display automatically enlarges. | |
Passengers with manual wheelchairs
At most stops on our network, independent boarding or alighting or the use of a folding ramp is possible. Information on stops where it is not possible to use a folding ramp can be found in the folding ramp brochure (as of March 2025) or in the SBB timetable app under “Settings” / “Barrier-free connection”.
If you would like to use a stop where it is not possible to use a folding ramp, you can use our shuttle service (see below). This shuttle service will take you to a nearby stop on the relevant line where boarding is possible with a folding ramp or independently.
Marking of trams in timetables
The Combino and Flexity trams, which are fully low-floor (with a folding ramp at door 2), are marked with the letters NF (for “Niederflur”, meaning low-floor) in the SBB timetable. Older tram trains (“Cornichons“ with or without trailers), which do not have a folding ramp, are not marked. The SBB timetable can also show barrier-free travel connections.
For operational reasons, older tram trains (without folding ramps) only run on lines 2, 6, 15/16 and 21. These scheduled tram trains are specially marked in the stop timetables.
Orientation at our stops
Independent boarding and alighting is possible at all stops without a pictogram. The following conditions apply at all other stops:
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Boarding and alighting possible using a folding ramp. The folding ramp is operated by our drivers. It is best to position yourself by the first door of the vehicle and clearly signal your request for assistance, if possible using hand signals.
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These stops are not wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair users with a valid public transport ticket will be transported free of charge by shuttle to the next major stop with transfer facilities. Please call the Handicap Contact Centre at least two hours before departure. This can be reached daily between 5 a.m. and midnight on 0800 007 102 (free of charge in Switzerland), from abroad via +41 800 007 102 (subject to a charge). The use of a folding ramp is not possible at these stops.
All further information on the shuttle service can be found in the SBB “Barrier-free travelling” brochure or on the SBB website. |
You can find informations about current restrictions on our offer due to construction sites, here (in German).
Passengers with a rollator
| Getting on board
Getting of |
All our vehicles can also be boarded with a wheelchair. Passengers with wheelchairs use the doors labelled with the wheelchair logo. Secure your rollator with the handbrake during the journey. The rollator should not be used as a seat.
If you want to get out of the vehicle, press the blue stop button in good time. Only stand up when the vehicle has come to a complete stop. If there is a height difference between the vehicle and the kerb, it is recommended that you get out of the vehicle backwards and then place the rollator on the kerb (see also this video (in german)). |
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We wish you a safe and pleasant journey at all times and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have at our locations.
Passengers with a invisible disabilities or illnesses
BVB is the first municipal public transport company in Switzerland to offer Sunflower Lanyards as a symbol of recognition for invisible disabilities or illnesses. These lanyards are available free of charge and without proof of eligibility at the BVB customer center on Barfüsserplatz.
Traveling can be stressful in certain situations. This is particularly challenging for people on the autism spectrum or for passengers with mental or neurological conditions, such as anxiety disorders or migraines.
The Sunflower Lanyard allows people with an invisible disability or illness to discreetly indicate this when necessary. BVB staff who have direct contact with customers are trained accordingly and can thus respond to the special needs of those affected.
Further information can be found in the flyer (in german) and in the press release (in german).
