Travelling with a disability and Virtual stop assistant

How do I use OV if I have a disability?

Will you be travelling with medical mobility equipment, such as a scooter, wheelchair or white cane? Are you just curious about the additional services that are available to assist people with disabilities using OV? You can read more about this below.

Travelling with a motor disability

Do you have difficulty moving, walking, using your arms etc.? You can still take OV if you have a motor disability. There are extra-wide entry doors at metro stations and we have made card machines accessible to wheelchair and mobility scooter users as well.

Most stops and stations feature lifts and escalators. Before departing, check the website or app to see if there are any disruptions affecting the lifts or escalators.

We have also ensured that travellers with a motor disability can easily enter and exit each means of transport. The floor of the vehicles is often level with the platform or the stop or, in the case of trams, a wheelchair ramp is available.

Mobility scooter

You can travel by tram or metro with a mobility scooter if there is enough room. The maximum dimensions for a mobility scooter are 120 cm long, 70 cm wide and 109 cm tall. Is your mobility scooter larger? If it is, you cannot travel with it using OV. Mobility scooters are not permitted on buses.

Wheelchair

Do you plan on using OV with a wheelchair? If so, you take priority over mobility scooters and pushchairs when boarding the vehicle.

Buses and trams have a special area for wheelchairs and pushchairs. You can recognise these areas by the special wheelchair sticker displayed here. On buses, these are at the centre of the vehicle, near the exit doors. On newer trams, these are near the entrance with the double doors. On older trams, these are near the conductor.

Balance bicycle

The maximum dimensions for a folded balance bicycle in all vehicles are 120 cm long, 70 cm wide and 109 cm tall. Is your balance bicycle larger? If it is, you cannot bring it on.

Always follow the instructions of the driver or conductor. The driver or conductor has the right to decline entry for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and balance bicycles if these might impact your safety or the safety of other travellers. For example, there may not be enough room to evacuate in the event of an accident.

Travelling with a visual impairment

Do you have poor eyesight? Are you completely blind? We have taken specific measures to assist with this as well. For example, are you travelling with a white cane? There are tactile guide strips at all stops, stations and ferry docks.

When travelling, we use sounds to let you hear if you have successfully completed a specific action. For example, when checking in or out of vehicles, you will hear a beep. One beep means that you’ve checked in; two beeps means that you’ve checked out.

Stop names are announced clearly on all buses, trams and metro cars. The metro stops at all stations. Are you travelling by tram or bus and have to press the stop button? Hold the button down until you hear a ping.

Travelling with an aid

Aids, such as white canes and support dogs, are permitted on OV.

Support dogs are allowed on OV for free if the animal guides the traveller and has been dressed in a way that indicates this. Please ensure that the dog can be identified as a seeing-eye dog or a support dog from Stichting Hulphond Nederland. It doesn’t matter if the dog is still in training.

Traveling with a hearing impairment

Are you deaf or hard of hearing? You can travel with us as well. Departure information is available her on our website or the GVB app. Most stops and stations feature digital information screens.

Vehicles are equipped with digital screens that display travel information, so that you can stay up to date during your journey as well.

Stop buttons are located everywhere on trams and buses. When you press the stop button, the light at front of the vehicle and on all the displays will be illuminated. This lets you know that the vehicle will let people off at the next stop. The metro stops at every station.

What is the Virtual stop assistant, and how do I set it up?

Stop assistant is a tool in our GVB app that helps you plan a journey according to your specific needs. Setting up Stop assistant:

1. Open the GVB app

2. On the menu, click More > Preferences > Virtual stop assistant

3. Turn on Use virtual stop assistant and indicate whether you will be travelling with a mobility aid, require a ramp and the maximum possible entry height of the vehicle.

4. The app will display all stops that match your settings.