The SK 6000 System : Validation of its accessibility for Charles de Gaulle Airport

The SK 6000 is a continuous and fully automated transportation system. Passengers can board and exit the vehicles while they slowly move along the station platform. In 1996, it will service the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport by linking terminals, office centres, car parks and railway stations. An experimental study was conducted with a large sample of volunteer subjects who were asked to board and alight a full-scale vehicle mock-up in order to assess the passenger flows, the dwell times, the ergonomics of the vehicle's interior, as well as the accessibility for passengers with disabilities. Apart persons carrying luggage, a total of 205 tests were performed with 82 subjects, including 13 with disabilities. This paper presents the results from the behavioural observations, measurements and questionnaires, and gives recommendations for improving equipment on board the vehicle and on the platform.