Accessibility guidelines for CAVs in public transport

How do we ensure new public transport technology is accessible for people with disability? The iMOVE Connected and Automated Vehicle accessibility guide project aimed to ensure people with disability are considered in the design and implementation of new public transport technology.

iMOVE partnered with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts and LaTrobe Centre for Technology Infusion for this research. The final report for that project is available for download below.

Background

There are more than 5.5 million people with disability in Australia or around 21 per cent of Australia’s population (ABS, 2022).

Access to public transport is critical for people to fully participate in the community. Many people use public transport to travel to work or study, connect them to family, friends and their community, or help them access support and services, such as healthcare and education. However, 1.9 million people with disability in Australia experienced difficulties using public transport due to their disability (ABS, 2022).

Globally, the World Health Organisation reports people with disability find using public transport 15 times more difficult compared to those without disability (WHO, 2022).

Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) and other emerging technologies have the potential to improve public transport equity. The high level of connectivity, sensing and computing power opens opportunities that traditional transport services are not able to provide. However, if this technology is not accessible, it may exacerbate existing issues and present new barriers to accessing public transport.

“…many people with disability have high hopes for CAVs to provide greater independence and more individualised services.”

Project objectives

The objectives of this project were to:

1. Develop CAV accessibility guidelines that promote consensus and consistency in the service and vehicle design before formal standards come into place, based on the findings of iMOVE project 3-014 Australia’s Public Transport Disability Standards and Connected and Automated Vehicles.
2. Update the Whole Journey Guide (WJG) with new examples of emerging technologies that can improve public transport accessibility. These case examples should assure the relevance and inspiration levels of the WJG.

Trip stages

The CAV accessibility guidelines focus on the end user experience and the challenges that people with disability may face in each stage of their trip. They aim to help manufacturers, operators and policy makers ensure CAVs are accessible for people with disability.

The guidelines focus on the challenges and opportunities at each trip stage, including:

• Pre-journey planning
• Pickup location
• Find and authenticate the vehicle
• Entering the vehicle
• Manoeuvring within the vehicle
• In-vehicle interactions
• Trip progress information
• Exiting the vehicleDrop-off location and final destination

The Australian Government administers the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Transport Standards), made under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The Transport Standards seek to remove discrimination against people with disability by providing requirements for public transport operators and providers to ensure their services are safe and accessible. The CAV accessibility guidelines aim to encourage thinking beyond compliance with the Transport Standards.

Further research and development

The guidelines include suggested areas of further research to improve public transport accessibility, including:

• Robotics and automation: Innovations in robotics and automation could greatly assist in transferring passengers between platforms and vehicles by providing automated ramps, conveyor systems or robotic arms.
• Artificial intelligence (AI): Providing personalised assistance for passengers travelling in CAVs by recognising and adapting to their specific needs.
• Communication: Text-to-speech systems and screen readers provide real-time updates, while audio-based navigation guides help them navigate their surroundings. AI cameras can also recognise when a passenger has difficulty communicating and provide alternative methods of interaction, like voice commands or gesture recognition.
• Human machine interface systems: Including voice-activated controls, haptic feedback, gesture-based controls and app interfaces with whole-of-trip controls and information alongside touchscreens.
• Navigation: Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) to help guide around busy transit stations or parking lots, and to locate the nearest accessible vehicle. Inside vehicles SLAM could create a real-time map of the interior space.

Expected project impacts

Connected and Automated Vehicles hold incredible promise to transform how we move, work and live. But as we race ahead with technological breakthroughs, we must keep sight of the people these systems are meant to serve. By centring on the needs of people with disability, we not only design for inclusion, we unlock innovations that ultimately benefit everyone.

That’s why clear, inclusive design guidelines are so important. They help ensure that the future we’re building is accessible, intuitive, and safe for all—and that small changes made for a few can lead to systemic improvements for many.

Erik van Vulpen, Deputy Director, Centre for Technology Infusion, Latrobe University

Download the final report

Download your copy of the final report, Accessibility Guidelines for Connected and Automated Vehicles in Public Transport, by clicking the button below.