At the same time, the findings show encouraging progress. Participants highlighted more accessible metro infrastructure, newer low-floor buses, digital journey-planning tools, fare exemptions and helpful transport staff. Many said they were pleasantly surprised by improvements in public transport and were considering using it more often.

As Francesca Nardini, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Viet Nam, noted:
“Accessibility is not strictly a disability issue. It is fundamentally a quality issue. The public transport that works for persons with disabilities works better for everyone.”

The study calls for a shift from making individual facilities accessible to ensuring that the whole journey is accessible - from the pavement to the crossing, from the station to the vehicle, and from travel information to the final destination.
Key recommendations include improving critical infrastructure, making accessibility a standard part of new transport investments, strengthening operational procedures and staff training, providing better accessibility information through digital platforms, and involving persons with disabilities in planning, design, testing and monitoring.

Accessible public transport is about more than getting from one place to another. It helps people access education, jobs, healthcare and community life. By building accessibility into greener and smarter urban transport systems, Viet Nam can create cities that are safer, more inclusive and better connected for everyone.