1. Introduction

In this guide you will find information and guidelines on what is required to achieve universal design of maritime transport with passenger ships.

Maritime transport is for many people and important part of the travel chain and all links in such a chain must be universally designed and hang together, in order for everyone to have equal access to the transport.

Therefore the guide does not only deal with necessary requirements to vessels, but also to the infrastructure surrounding these, like quays, terminal buildings etc., access to information and ICT, to the performance of transport related services, user participation, tendering processes and other issues affecting universal design in maritime transport.

The guide also has a separate Annex with relevant Norwegian and international legislation.

1.1   Terminology

  • Car ferry – ferry which is specially designed and built to carry cars and passengers, mostly for short, limited distances across fiords or between islands and mainland as part of national, regional or local roads in order to freight cars.
  • Ferry – ship that carries passengers over limited distances. A ferry can also have decks to carry vehicles. Ferry transport most often operate according to fixed schedules, so that there is a regular route traffic.

NOTE: The Norwegian Maritime Authority calls high speed ships as well as other passenger ships with roll on/roll off deck roro-ships in all recent regulations.

  • High speed passenger ship – vessel with a speed of plus 20 knots.

NOTE: The Norwegian Maritime Authority: High speed vessel: As defined in Rule X/1 in SOLAS 1974 with later changes. Definition according to the Regulation:

  • High speed passenger vessel: A high speed passenger vessel with roro cargo room or special category room as defined in the SOLAS Convention Rule II-2/3 or high speed passenger vessel with devices allowing road vehicles or rail material to drive on- and offboard the vessel.
  • Passenger vessel in interior traffic in no point of time sailing at a distance of more than 20 nautical miles from the coast, where castaways can be set ashore at middle tide height, are not to be classified as high speed passenger vessels, when:
    • Its displacement equal to the construction waterline is less than 500 m³ and
    • Its highest speed as defined in rule 1.4.30 in the HSC94 code for high speed vessels or rule 1.4.37 n the HSC2000 code for high speed vessels is less than 20 knots.
  • Passenger ship – vessel that carries passengers.

NOTE: Norwegian Maritime Authority: Passenger ship is a collective term that also includes high speed passenger vessels.

  • Infrastructure: Includes hubs, changing points and endpoints, including quays, buildings relating to maritime passenger transport that are used by the public, automats, ICT and others.
  • User participation: involvement of those using a product or a service, in this context passengers.
  • Information and dissemination:
    • Before travel: on web page, monitors, loudspeakers and signs,
    • During travel: on loudspeaker, monitors, audible beacons, signage and others.
  • Services: customer care for passengers before and during travel.

1.2   Scope

  • The Guide includes maritime passenger transport.
  • The Guide includes passenger ships with a length of more than 15 metres.

1.3   Target groups

The target groups for this Guide in the field of passenger transport includes clients, procurers of transport related services, operators and providers of transport services.