Luas Accessibility Policy | Fare Compliance & the Free Travel | Getting On the Luas
Travel Assistance | JAM Card (Just a Minute) | Vision Impairment | Hearing Impairment
Passengers Using Wheelchairs | Mobility Scooters | Passengers with Assistance Dogs
Passengers with Child Buggies | Travel Information | Luas Stops
Access at Luas Stops | Getting Off Luas | Parking Facilities
Help Us Provide Transport for All | Making a Complaint
The aim at Luas is to provide a friendly, efficient, comfortable and safe service to all passengers. Some passengers have disabilities, which are sometimes not visible; there can also be a wide range of differences between how individuals with a particular condition are affected, ranging from mild to severe difficulties. A person’s environment, which includes the supports they have and the physical or social barriers they face, influences the scale of the challenges they face in everyday life, therefore some passengers require our extra care and attention.
The public office is located at the Red Cow Luas Depot, Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, D22 C5P3 and is fully accessible.
For information or requests in large print please contact Luas Customer Service office on 0818 300 604 or email info@luas.ie
Details regarding Luas’s accessibility initiatives are outlined below.
When passengers with disabilities make a journey, they have the same expectations as other members of the public. In providing a public transport service, Luas takes into account the accessibility needs of all present and future passengers. There is no definitive list of conditions that constitute a disability.
Mobility needs range from the most obvious needs including those on crutches, wheelchair users, those with guide dogs, or those with buggies to those with physical impairments (for example passengers with arthritis, back, or limb pain). Mobility needs also extend to passengers travelling with children, shopping, or luggage that may require assistance.
An “invisible,” “non-visible,” “hidden,” “non-apparent,” or “unseen” disability is any physical, mental, or emotional impairment that is not immediately obvious to an onlooker. An invisible disability can include, but is not limited to: cognitive impairment and brain injury; the autism spectrum; chronic illnesses like multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia; anxiety, depression, PTSD, and many more.
Sensory needs include blindness, sight impairment, deafness, and those hard of hearing.
Learning difficulties can range from dyslexia and learning difficulties to a lack of formal education.
Compliant with current accessibility and environmental standards for transport systems, Luas’ aims are to:
While it is not possible to anticipate every difficulty Luas passengers may have on their journey, Luas will try to anticipate problems and solve them wherever possible as they arise.
Luas encourage staff to be flexible and professional in their approach to passenger concerns and needs, and make every effort to make services as accessible as possible.
While on Luas infrastructure or on Luas trams, all passengers must have a valid ticket or pass. Travel on Luas is free for those in possession of a Public Services Free Travel Pass or pensioners’ Public Services Free Travel Pass. There is no restriction put on when a passenger can travel with these passes.
Luas Customer Agents (CA) and drivers have a duty to check that you’re using a valid pass and that you are the person who appears on the pass.
Be sure to validate your Free Travel Pass or purchase a Luas ticket prior to entering the Luas tram. There are two validators located on each end of the platform to validate your travel pass, and Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) are available on each platform, at every stop for ticket purchasing. If you do not have your free travel pass with you, you will need to purchase a Luas ticket or pay for your journey using a Leap Card. You must always ensure that you have your validated Free Travel Pass or Leap Card, or a valid ticket ready to be checked by a Customer Agent (CA) or authorised person at any time during your journey.
Where possible, enter the Luas through the double doors as they are the closest entrance to the priority seating and designated wheelchair area. Please always let passengers get off the Luas before attempting to board.
If you require extra assistance while travelling with us or wish to request assistance in advance of travel, please call Luas Customer Service on 0818 300 604.
If you have decided to travel with Luas and know that you will require additional assistance, please let us know in advance of travel so that arrangements can be made to ensure a member of staff will be available to assist you. Luas can accompany you on your trip, help to familiarise you with the system, and give you advice on planning a journey using Luas.
Travel Assistance is free and can be requested during all Luas operating hours.
The more information Luas staff have about the assistance you require, the better they will be able to assist you.
When contacting Luas to request Travel Assistance, please provide the following details:
If you need to cancel a journey for which special arrangements have been made, please let us know so staff can be made available to assist others.
To arrange assistance please contact the Luas Customer Service office:
Phone: 0818 300 604
Email: info@luas.ie
Luas is proud to join Transport for Ireland along with Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Iarnród Éireann, and Local Link as a supporter of NOW Group’s JAM Card and App.
The JAM card can be used by people with learning or communication difficulties to ask others to give them “just a minute” extra to gather their thoughts. Whether it’s difficulties with speech or needing a little extra time to search for a Luas ticket or Leap Card, the JAM card or app is a discreet way of letting Luas staff know a little extra time is needed.
JAM Card was developed by participants at the NOW Group who identified that sometimes people with conditions such as autism need ‘just a minute’ in certain social situations. The JAM Card will assist customers using Luas and make their experience as stress-free as possible.
The card says ‘Just A Minute’ on one side, and when you order a JAM Card you choose which message you would like on the other side of your card:
• I have autism/Asperger’s,
• I have autism, or
• I have a condition or I have dementia/memory problems.
When travelling with Luas, You simply show this card to any member of Luas staff you want speak with, or who speaks to you.
Luas staff including Drivers and Customer Assurance Officers have undertaken JAM Card awareness training, which teaches them to recognise the distinctive card as well as provide them with the information they need to ensure the JAM card user feels welcome on board Luas. During training staff also gained valuable knowledge about different types of disabilities and learned how to engage with a customer whom may have a communication barrier.
JAM Cards are available for collection from the following transport hubs in Dublin:
Connolly Station, Dublin
Pearse Station, Dublin
Heuston Station, Dublin
You can also request one directly from NOW Group by visiting the JAM Card website and filling out the request form.
You can find out more about the JAM Card at www.jamcard.org, the NOW Group at www.nowgroup.org.
All trams are fitted with a bell which can be rung to indicate the tram approaching and leaving a Luas platform. Requests for a bell to be rang with a certain indicator (ring bell 2 times upon arrival at Harcourt stop) can be made by request through the Emergency Help Point button.
Emergency Help Points are located on the side of all Luas ticket vending machines at the end of the platform shelter, in some case this may be free-standing in the same location.
There are automatic audio announcements on board providing the names of each stop together with other pre-recorded messages.
When entering and exiting the tram, there is a buzzing warning tone to indicate that tram doors are closing.
There is also an orange flashing light located above each door which will flash before the doors close. Do not attempt to exit or enter the tram if you have heard this noise as the doors may close on you.
All doors on Luas trams are fitted with an Obstacle Detector System which will prevent you becoming trapped in the doors.
The tram cannot move if there is an obstruction in the doors.
For information or requests in large print please contact our Luas Customer Service office on 0818 300 604 or email info@luas.ie
External displays show the terminal destination of the tram on the front, back, and sides of the vehicle. These are located above the driver’s cab at each end of the tram and just below the roof line along the sides of the tram.
There are many doors along the side of the tram which can be activated by pressing the green flashing button on the door.
Each tram is outfitted with on-board electronic displays in upper- and lower-case, high-contrast text. These displays will indicate the current stop if the tram has approached a platform as well as the upcoming stop when the tram has departed.
When boarding and exiting trams, there will be an orange flashing LED light located above all doors to indicate to passengers that the doors are closing. Please do not attempt to board or exit the tram once this signal has gone off as the doors may close on you.
All trams are fitted with an induction loop for passengers using hearing aids equipped with the so-called T-switch. The middle third of each tram provides access to announcements made on board, either from the driver or through recorded messages announcing the next tram stop and final destination, in case of emergency, this means that hearing aid users receive advice and instructions from the driver at exactly the same time as other passengers.
For wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility, lifts, ramps, and improved car parking spaces have been installed where necessary.
All trams and platforms are fully wheelchair accessible. The platforms are raised 280 mm above the track and are accessible via the short 5-6 m ramps located at one or both ends of the platform where necessary. Where required, there is a lift to provide access to the platform. On trams, there are two designated areas for wheelchair users, accessible via the 4 central sets of double tram doors. These areas are indicted by the double-sided wheelchair stickers on the windows above the fold-down seats and back rest area. Wheelchair users have priority over everyone else for use of this space as this is the only space in which they can travel safely.
When boarding the Luas, it is recommended that users enter through the double doors. Once on board, wheelchair users should apply their brake, securing themselves against the side grab rails and face rearwards for maximum safety while traveling.
If you are unable to board a Luas or require assistance, please press the Emergency Help Point button located at the end of the shelter next to the ticket vending machine, which will connect you to the Central Control Room, who will provide emergency assistance where required. Alternatively, contact the Luas Customer Service office on 0818 300 604.
Mobility scooters are allowed on board the Luas. When boarding the Luas, it is recommended that users enter through the double doors. Once on board, wheelchair users should apply their brake, securing themselves against the side grab rails and face rearwards for maximum safety while travelling.
Luas welcomes assistance dogs on board. Assistance dog must wear the appropriate harness or jacket that would indicate to the driver that it is an assistance dog. The assistance dog is the responsibility of its owner and must be kept under control, whether it is in a harness, on a leash, or in a carrier. An assistance dog must not block the aisle or travel on a seat. Adequate space is provided for guide dogs underneath designated seats on Luas.
As long as there is space, there is no limit to the number of assistance dogs the Luas driver can allow on a tram.
There are two designated areas for child buggies, accessed via the four central sets of double tram doors. These areas are indicted by the double-sided wheelchair / buggy sticker on the windows above the fold-down seats and back rest area. Wheelchair users and buggies have priority over everyone else for use of this space, since this is the only place in which they can travel safely.
The floors of Luas trams are low-level so that buggies can remain unfolded in the wheelchair space if it is free. Please make sure the buggy is safely positioned and the brake is on. Unfolded buggies cannot travel in the aisle. You should be able to board any Luas with a buggy. If the Luas driver thinks that it is too crowded for you to board safely, he / she may refuse travel. Buggies should never be placed directly behind the driver’s door as they can block access to the tram saloon from the driver’s cab should an emergency arise.
If someone in a wheelchair wishes to board when there is an unfolded buggy in the wheelchair space, the driver or another member of Luas staff will ask you to fold the buggy and either put it in the luggage space or to keep it by your side.
Clear, concise, accurate and timely information is crucial to passengers making journeys by public transport and can build confidence in the Luas system. For passengers with disabilities, good information can be the difference between being able to make a journey or not. Real Time Passenger Information is available from the on-platform Passenger Information Display (PID) units at every Luas platform. This displays three lines of text informing passengers of the anticipated arrival times and destinations of the next three trams from the platform. The Passenger Information Display (PID) is also used to provide information about service disruptions or other information.
Real time information can also be obtained by visiting www.luas.ie, downloading the free Luas app from the Apple App or Google Play stores, or by viewing Luas’ official twitter page, @LUAS. The Luas Website allows for font enlargement and reading through Browse Aloud. A new version of the website was recently launched and is designed to deliver key information to passengers in a quick and efficient manner. All the key features of the older Luas website were optimised so it is fast, accessible, and easy to navigate.
Most Luas stops have two 40m long x 3m wide platforms at each side of the track, except at Harcourt and Busáras, where the platforms lie between the tracks. Areas of the Green Luas line where travel is one-directional, in the loop between Westmoreland – Parnell – Trinity, only have one platform. The platforms are raised 280 mm above the track and are accessed by short 5-6 m ramps located at one or both ends of the platforms.
Steel and glass shelters are located on most stop platforms with a few exceptions. These shelters house the Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) and Emergency Help Points, as well as provide seating to passengers. Mounted on many of the Luas stop shelters is a notice board that displays a location route map showing key local features and also provides information regarding fares and travel information. These notice boards may also be free-standing in some locations.
Each Luas stop has a Stop Notice Totem or Stop Notice Board housing a Passenger Information Display (PID). Be sure to check these displays regularly for the latest travel information.
Large signs at each stop display the name of the stop. These signs also have a coloured “flag” which helps to identify which particular line the stop is on (Red or Green).
The following stops can be accessed by lift:
All lifts have an intercom located at the Emergency Help Point to allow you to contact Luas Central Control Room in the event of an emergency. All lifts are covered by CCTV cameras internally and externally.
Please be sure to check the travel updates section of www.luas.ie and the Luas mobile app for information regarding up to date lift information.
Luas passengers should prepare themselves as the tram is arriving into the stop. Passengers must be prepared to exit the tram when it arrives at the stop. An announcement along with the internal LED display will indicate the next stop. Passengers should press the green flashing button on the door if they wish to exit the tram. Please stand back and allow passengers exit the Luas before attempting to board. If you require assistance please let us know in advance by calling 0818 300 604 or emailing info@luas.ie with the dates, times, and locations.
Please note that the space on the Luas denoted by the symbol displayed to the left is a designated space for wheelchair users and those travelling with buggies. Wheelchair users get priority in this area. Please move from this area when a wheelchair user needs this space on the Luas.
If you notice a person with a vision impairment standing on the platform, please let them know the direction of the tram as the tram approaches the platform. Offer your Luas seat to passengers who are older, pregnant, or people with mobility difficulties if they are standing.
Please help your fellow Luas users if they need assistance.
There are 7 Luas Park + Ride car parking facilities, all of which have conveniently located, designated blue badge spaces. Blue Badge spaces are located as close to the Luas platforms as possible.
Parking for Luas passengers with disabilities is free of charge in designated Blue Badge spaces. You must ensure that you visibly display your Blue Badge pass and park in a designated Blue Badge parking spaces. These spots are offered on a first come, first served basis. If upon arrival, there are no available Blue Badge Parking Spaces then parking in the other spaces is permitted, and is free of charge as long as your Blue Badge is displayed.
A person wishing to make a complaint in relation to a failure by Luas to comply with the Disability Act, 2005, may do so in writing to the Luas Customer Service Centre by sending an email to info@luas.ie or writing to:
Luas Customer Service
Luas Depot,
Red Cow,
Clondalkin,
Dublin 22
D22 C5P3
Additionally, a complaint can be made to our Luas Customer Service Centre by calling 0818 300 604.
