Vienna’s public transport operator, Wiener Linien, has redesigned its seat pictograms to be more accessible and gender-neutral.

The updated symbols, which mark priority seating on underground trains and trams, will be introduced gradually, with no planned changes for buses, which use different pictograms.

According to Wiener Linien spokesperson Andrea Zefferer, the redesign was developed in collaboration with the company’s accessibility officer. “Since the old depictions were sometimes hard to make out, the schematic representations of people have been simplified visually,” she explained. Colours and contrasts have been strengthened to enhance visibility.

The colour scheme has also been revised, with the symbol for visually impaired and blind passengers now yellow instead of blue. The yellow armband with three dots is now clearly recognisable, Zefferer noted. “With the new pictograms, Wiener Linien is ensuring that the designated seats are more clearly reserved for passengers who need them most.”

The redesign also makes the figures gender-neutral – though Zefferer clarified this was simply a side effect of the more accessible design. Previously, the symbols included details like long hair, buns, or beards; the new pictograms are entirely hairstyle-free.