Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) and the Catalan Committee of Representatives of People with Disabilities (COCARMI) have signed a four-year agreement to advance universal accessibility in public transport, aiming to ensure equal mobility rights for people with disabilities.
The pact, signed on Friday 16 October 2026 at COCARMI’s headquarters in the ONCE Catalunya building in Barcelona, establishes a framework for joint action to promote inclusive urban mobility. It will be automatically renewed unless either party withdraws. The signing was attended by Cristina Güell, TMB’s director of corporate services, COCARMI president Frederic Crespo, and accessibility work coordinator Pere Cantenys.
Joint Actions for Inclusive Mobility
The agreement focuses on improving accessibility, usability, comfort, and safety across TMB’s metro and bus services. Key initiatives include staff training programmes on disability awareness, participation in pilot projects for universal accessibility, and reviewing emergency protocols to better accommodate people with reduced mobility.
Collaboration will extend to aligning TMB’s emergency procedures with external services such as the Mossos d'Esquadra (regional police), firefighters, and civil protection units, ensuring coordinated responses that consider the needs of disabled passengers.
This agreement reinforces our commitment to making public transport truly accessible for everyone, regardless of ability.
Longstanding Partnership for Inclusion
TMB, the main public transport operator in Catalonia, has previously worked with disability organisations through initiatives like the 'Mou-te per les persones amb discapacitat' campaign, supported since 2016. COCARMI, founded in 1998, unites 11 major disability federations in Catalonia, including ACAPPS, FEPCCAT, Down Catalunya, and ONCE Catalunya, representing people with physical, intellectual, sensory, and mental health disabilities.
The new agreement builds on TMB’s Universal Accessibility Master Plan, which guides infrastructure and service upgrades across the network. Actions will include promoting legislative improvements and fostering ongoing collaboration with public and private institutions to embed accessibility into urban planning.
What This Means for Passengers
Residents with disabilities in Barcelona’s metropolitan area can expect more inclusive transport policies and staff trained to assist diverse needs. While specific rollout dates for individual measures were not detailed, the four-year duration provides a stable timeline for tangible improvements. Further details on accessibility initiatives are available via TMB’s official website.
Primary sources: noticies.tmb.cat, fundacio.tmb.cat, Premsa TMB, Autor Premsa TMB, tmb.cat, transparencia.tmb.cat. Reported by urldefense.com, acapps.org, asocide-cat.org, dincat.cat, sindromedown.cat, ecom.cat, fedcatalanautisme.org, lafederacio.cat, salutmental.org, fepccat.org, fesoca.org, once.es.
