Journey audits
Observed trips from origin to destination, recording physical, sensory, information and operational barriers across the full chain.
Accessible transport, stations & wayfinding · fictional consultancy
A route is accessible only if the whole journey is.
We follow the passenger from pavement to platform to transfer to destination, then show exactly where the chain breaks and which fix changes the journey first.
Journey map / WL-077
Home
Bus stop
Station
Clinic
Transfers
2
Barriers
7
Fix now
3
About / journey logic
Standards tell us the dimensions. Journeys tell us whether they work together.
Wayline is a fictional accessibility and mobility practice for transport operators, municipalities, campuses and public destinations. We audit the chain between places rather than certifying isolated pieces of infrastructure.
A compliant lift is useless when the accessible route to it is unsigned during disruption. A readable map fails when the stop name changes between the timetable, pole and announcement. We connect those details into one passenger task.
Services / route interventions
Work organised by the part of the journey that fails.
Wayfinding systems
Sign hierarchy, naming, contrast, decision-point placement and accessible route communication tested in real movement conditions.
Stop & station access
Boarding interfaces, crossings, shelters, kerbs, tactile cues, seating, lighting and transfer distances reviewed as one experience.
Service information
Accessible timetables, disruption messaging, route maps and staff scripts designed for uncertainty rather than ideal journeys.
Process / five stops
STOP 01
Observe
Travel the route with operations as it actually runs.
STOP 02
Test
Bring paid access testers with different mobility and information strategies.
STOP 03
Map
Record each barrier at the decision point where it changes the journey.
STOP 04
Prioritise
Separate immediate operational fixes from design and capital work.
STOP 05
Verify
Repeat the same journey after changes and close only what improved.
Projects / tested journeys
Central interchange to hospital
Nine barriers across two transfers were reduced to four after stop relocation, platform naming changes and a new disruption script. Capital lift work remains separately tracked.
Civic campus loop
A technically accessible campus bus was difficult to board because stop poles, maps and building names used three different naming systems. One naming standard removed most wayfinding failures.
Market district walking route
Crossing time, informal loading and missing resting points made a 620 m route unusable for some older residents. Operations and street-furniture changes came before resurfacing.
Proof / journey outcomes
42
routes audited
61%
barriers fixed without capital works
18
paid access testers this quarter
2x
minimum verification journeys per project
People / route team
Different specialists, one passenger task.
Mobility strategist
Nandi Moyo
Journey chains, service design, operator decisions
Access auditor
Tom Becker
Built environment, boarding interfaces, crossings
Information designer
Aisha Latif
Signs, maps, naming, disruption communication
Research lead
Sibusiso Khumalo
Access testing, consent, evidence synthesis
Insights / field notes
The sign can be correct and still arrive too late.
Decision points matter more than sign count
Information must appear before a passenger commits to the wrong corridor, platform or crossing.
Disruption is part of accessibility
Temporary closures, replacement stops and staff instructions need accessible routes too, not just the permanent plan.
Measure the transfer, not the platform
A good platform can still produce a bad journey when the next mode is distant, unsigned or impossible to board.
FAQ / commissioning
Before the first journey test.
Do you only audit wheelchair access?
No. The fictional practice evaluates mobility, vision, hearing, cognition, fatigue, language and situational barriers. A route can meet dimensional standards and still be difficult to understand or use.
Can you review an existing station without redesigning it?
Yes. Many useful changes come from sign placement, route naming, furniture relocation, crossing timing, maintenance and staff procedure before major capital work is justified.
How are users involved?
We plan paid, consent-based journey testing with people who use different access strategies. Their observations are combined with technical audit evidence rather than treated as anecdotal decoration.
What does a final report include?
A barrier register, route evidence, severity and frequency, immediate operational fixes, medium-term design actions, capital recommendations and a verification plan.
Contact / start point
Give us an origin, a destination and the journey people avoid.
Send the route, operating hours, known complaints, recent changes and any accessibility audits already completed. We will propose the smallest journey-testing plan that can answer the decision in front of you.
Start a route audit