Accessibility and Facilities for People with Disabilities in Moscow

Overview of where to go and what to do if you are mobility, sight or hearing impaired, a wheelchair or cane user, and living in or visiting Moscow…

Getting Around Moscow

Buses

There are some lower-floor buses, trolleys and trams running in Moscow. About 47 percent of buses, 33 percent of trolleys and 3 percent of trams have low step and wheelchair accessibility. Mosgortrans, the Moscow transport compnay, aims to adapt all buses, trolleybuses and trams to fully accommodate passengers with disabilities by 2015.

People with disabilities can travel on public transport free of charge.

  • For additional information: Click here (in Russian)

Taxi

Working in partnership with the City of Moscow, Mosgortrans operates a state-subsidised "social taxi" service for people with disabilities, with a fleet of specially-equipped vehicles. Tickets (talony) can be bought at the All-Russian Society of Disabled People, and places should be reserved at least 24 hours in advance as demand for the service is high.

In addition, many conventional taxi companies provide paid transportation services for people with disabilities including lower-floor minibuses and wheelchair rentals.

Metro

There is little provision for people with disabilities on the Moscow metro and very few stations have disabled access. There are no lifts or specialised elevators for wheelchairs, and train carriages are also largely unsuitable.

Trains

Russian Railways (Rossiyskie Zheleznye Dorogi - RZD) provides specialised carriages for passengers with disabilities. These carriages are equipped with an elevator, specialised toilets, and compartments are more spacious.

Streets and traffic lights

In recent years much has been done to improve the accessibility of Moscow's streets for people with disabilities. Pedestrian roads and crossings are now mostly equipped with ramped curbs and traffic lights with audio signals for people with impaired vision.

Tourism and Sightseeing

Most of the main tourism sites in Moscow are accessible to people with disabilities, including Red Square and the Kremlin museum complex, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Tretyakov Gallery, Bolshoi Theatre, all major trading centres, and many stadiums. However, it may be difficult for people with disabilities to access sites of interest beyond the centre of the city.

There is often a reduction in the price of admission for people with disabilities, and there may also be special provision for the entry procedure to facilities such as cafés, museums, cinemas and shops in order to avoid queuing.

Organisations and Support Groups in Moscow

Sports Associations