The verdict in three sentences
Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (transposed in Ireland by S.I. No. 636 of 2023) requires passenger transport operators to provide an accessible website and accessible online ticketing. For a 120-vehicle coach operator in Dublin, a realistic budget sits between 11,000 and 26,000 EUR (WCAG audit plus remediation), over 6 to 10 weeks. Doing nothing exposes the business to enforcement by the Coimisiún na Meán and the CCPC, with fines and, in serious cases, criminal liability for repeated breaches.
What the European Accessibility Act changes for a Dublin coach operator
Until 2025, accessibility duties mainly targeted public sector bodies under the Web Accessibility Directive. The EAA widens the scope: any operator selling passenger tickets online, beyond microenterprises (fewer than 10 staff and under 2 million EUR turnover), must make its website, booking funnel, timetables and real-time information accessible.
In practice, regulators focus first on journey search, seat selection, payment and delivery of the e-ticket.
| Checked element | 2026 requirement | Common issue on a coach operator site |
|---|---|---|
| Timetable search | Usable by keyboard and screen reader | JavaScript date picker not announced |
| Seat selection | Text alternative to the coach map | Clickable map that is visual only |
| Payment | Labelled fields, explicit errors | Untitled payment iframe, errors shown in red only |
| PDF ticket | Tagged document or HTML alternative | Scanned PDF unreadable by text-to-speech |
| Contrast | 4.5:1 ratio for body text | White text on the brand yellow |
| Accessibility statement | Published, dated, with a contact | Missing on about 80% of audited sites (estimate) |
2026 budget: audit, remediation and follow-up
Cost depends on the number of page templates and the complexity of the booking engine. A coach operator site usually has 15 to 25 templates, 5 to 8 of them in the booking funnel. Irish rates run slightly higher than French ones, mainly on the audit.
| Item | 2026 range (excl. VAT) | Indicative timing |
|---|---|---|
| WCAG 2.1 AA audit (15-20 pages) | 4,000 to 8,000 EUR | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Front-end remediation (templates, forms, contrast) | 7,000 to 18,000 EUR | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Accessible PDF ticket or HTML alternative | 1,500 to 3,500 EUR | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Re-test and accessibility statement | 1,000 to 2,200 EUR | 1 week |
| Multi-year accessibility roadmap | 600 to 1,400 EUR | 3 days |
| Content team training (1 day) | 1,100 to 1,800 EUR | 1 day |
If your booking engine is a third-party SaaS, ask the vendor for its own conformance report (VPAT or equivalent). You remain liable to passengers, but a contractual remediation clause lets you pass the cost on.
A four-step method to deliver in 6 to 10 weeks
Step one: the baseline audit, which gives a conformance rate (often 30 to 50% on an untreated site). Step two: prioritise blocking issues in the booking funnel, because a blind passenger who cannot pay is the highest legal and commercial risk. Step three: fix shared components (header, forms, modals) to resolve dozens of criteria in one pass. Step four: re-test, publish the statement and set up a quarterly check.
Aim for at least 75% conformance at launch, with a dated plan for the remaining criteria. A partially conformant site with an honest statement and an action plan is far better placed during an inspection than a silent one.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Ciarán, managing director of a coach company in Dublin (120 vehicles, 41% of tickets sold online), commissions an audit: 44% conformance. The full quote comes to 5,200 EUR for the audit, 11,500 EUR for remediation, 2,000 EUR for tickets and 1,400 EUR for the re-test, a total of 20,100 EUR. With 2.3 million EUR of annual online sales, that is 0.9% of web revenue. Three months after launch, funnel abandonment drops by 4 points thanks to clearer forms, worth roughly 23,000 EUR of extra sales over a year, which pays back the project within the first 11 months.
FAQ
Is my 60-employee company covered by the EAA?
Yes. Only microenterprises with fewer than 10 staff and under 2 million EUR turnover are exempt for services. Above that, online ticketing has had to be accessible since 28 June 2025.
How much does a WCAG audit cost for a transport website?
Budget 4,000 to 8,000 EUR for a 15 to 20 page sample including the booking funnel. Add 2,500 to 5,000 EUR if the mobile app must also be audited.
What must the accessibility statement contain?
The conformance level, the audit date and method, the list of non-conformities, any exemptions claimed and a contact channel. It must be reachable from every page, usually in the footer.
Can we claim a disproportionate burden?
For some criteria, provided you document the assessment and renew it at least every 5 years. With a 20,000 EUR budget against 2.3 million EUR of online sales, the argument rarely holds.
Do we need to rebuild the whole site?
Rarely. In around 70% of cases (estimate), fixing shared components and the booking funnel is enough to exceed 75% conformance in 6 to 10 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Send us your booking site URL: we will price the WCAG audit, remediation and compliance timeline, with an indicative budget of 11,000 to 26,000 EUR and 6 to 10 weeks of work. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
