Technologies & improving public transport accessibility/inclusivity

iMOVE’s New/emerging transport tech: Greater accessibility and inclusivity project, commissioned by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts (DITRDCA) and research by La Trobe University’s Centre for Technology Infusion has been completed, and the final report is available for download below.

This work report introduces transport equity as an important metric for understanding barriers for travel and highlights opportunities and challenges for assistive technology in public transport outcomes for disabled and older users. Further, the report provides a starting framework for international discussion and collaboration in this field.

This project has been undertaken as part of APEC’s Intermodal and Intelligent Transportation Systems Experts Group (IIEG) main policy theme of Improving Accessibility and Inclusivity in the Use of New and Emerging Transport Technologies. Learnings from this work will be shared across Asia-Pacific economies so that technology solutions to improve accessibility are considered when transport policies are developed.

Essentially, this report is a pioneering piece of work that constitutes a resource on how to improve transport accessibility for all to affect real change. It also transcends national and international boundaries, shines a light on best practices, and creates momentum to make improvements via the opportunities and solutions offered by new technologies.

Background

As cities and regions become more populated and complex, there is a growing awareness of the need for economies to deliver transport equity – that is, to provide everyone with the same access to reliable, affordable transport. This improves quality of life and brings economic benefits to the general economy because people who can access public transport are more likely to work and travel.

An estimated 1.3 billion people in the world experience significant disability, or roughly 16% of the population. While technology is not the solution to all barriers and challenges, new transport technologies can significantly improve mobility outcomes for people with disability people with disability and older people.

Accessibility and inclusivity have long been part of the discourse when it comes to disability and public transport use. However, historically policy and design research has focused on visible mobility disabilities and has not widely considered the range of invisible, hidden, and temporary disabilities. Similarly, aging has been overlooked despite being a major factor in disability.

Two key statistics demonstrate the extent and seriousness of issues facing disabled users of public transport:

• 71.3% of Australians with a disability were able to use public transport, compared to 92.5% of people without a disability.
• Approximately 2.2 million Australians with a disability experience difficulties using public transport due to their disability.

Transport in general has begun to realise and take advantage of recent advances and developments in technology. Microcomputing, artificial intelligence (AI), connectivity, and battery technology, navigation and trip-planning apps can all be employed more strongly in this transport sector. Add to those general technological advances more sector-specific tech, such as automated wheelchairs, iBeacon signage, smart glasses and canes, frictionless ticketing, and aids for human-machine interaction.

This project has developed best practice guidance material includes case studies for incorporating new technologies into transport policies.

Objectives

The Improving Accessibility and Inclusivity of Public Transport Through New and Emerging Transport Technologies report provides the starting point for a best practice framework designed to promote collaboration between international groups, drive innovation and encourage discussion about new technologies and improved access for public transport policy and design.

The objectives of the project were:

• Identify current barriers to transport access for people with disability
• Highlight common shared barriers for transport across APEC economies
• Identify and illustrate opportunities and challenges for new and emerging transport technologies
• Provide a framework for further collaboration and information sharing between APEC members

Report findings

There is no one size fits all for public transport users. The report found for a truly inclusive public transport service, fuller understanding and recognition of the broad range of disabilities and subsequent barriers to transport use must be explored.

Technology is changing transportation; however inadequate funding and a lack of relevant primary data is a major barrier to the adoption of technological opportunities. The collection of standardised data is paramount for addressing information gaps and for setting measurable goals.

Transport ecosystems should be readdressed in a more holistic manner (who, what, why, when) to understand the complex requirements and challenges faced by people of varying abilities. The pillars for understanding these challenges must focus on consultation and communication between stakeholders and end user communities with a whole-of-journey vision.

Assistive technology offers enormous potential for collaboration between private and public partnerships, with policy and legal interventions likely necessary to make transport equity achievable and improve usability a measurable priority.

The report highlights the importance of a shared framework for collaboration and intelligence sharing between working groups in APEC economies. Sharing information is an invaluable way to understand common user experiences whilst allowing space for more specific and regional considerations.

Conclusions and recommendations

The Improving the accessibility and inclusivity of public transport through new and emerging transport technologies report assesses the issues, and makes observations and recommendations across a number of areas, including but not limited to:

Policy development

Consultation and collaboration

• monitoring compliance with disability access standards, including the establishment of a national framework for mandatory compliance reporting and the regular collection of data which should be made publicly available

Technology: Standards, design, and implementation

• Universal design (UD) principles: “the design of products, environments, programs and services to be usable by all people to the greatest extent possible”.
• Establish early collaboration between government representatives, infrastructure designers and Disabled Peoples’ Organisations.
• Include people with disability on general planning committees to ensure a better understanding of the barriers faced by people with disability.
• Undertaking an initial policy assessment on the existence and quality of local policies, strategies, legislation, and guidelines can help to identify gaps in current systems and laws will drive change. This will also hold transport operators responsible for non-compliance and to be sufficiently well informed on technical requirements to be able to identify where a breach has occurred, rather than unfairly rely on reportage of issues by transport users.

Legal and Policy interventions

• There is a need for government intervention to ensure the benefits of new technologies reach everyone. Certain requirements, such as legal standards relating to the design of new service offerings, may be useful, for example, linking rights for a private company to offer a service commercially with the obligation to ensure adequate accessibility, or by imposing taxes and fees on those services which cause inconvenience to others.
• New technologies provide an opportunity to collect increased amounts of data, however data collection poses a privacy and security risk, and legislative provisions are lagging in regards to data collection.

Resource guide

The report includes an excellent resource guide, that includes references to additional material on conventions, disability data, policy, universal design, data privacy, legislation, the Transport Accessibility Gap, and more.

Expected project impacts

Accessibility tech is starting to come out from the shadows of established innovation area’s such as automation, net zero, Maas, shared transport, micro-mobility, and so forth.

There is clearly momentum. Just look at how – rightfully – proud Sydney Metro has been touting its new accessibility features.
Accessibility tech should be a pinnacle of transport innovation, where the best aspire to contribute to.

We hope that this report helps policy makers to seize the momentum to drive further change which we all know is badly needed.

Erik van Vulpen – Deputy Director, Centre for Technology Infusion at La Trobe University

Download the final report

Download your copy of the final report, Improving the accessibility and inclusivity of public transport through new and emerging transport technologies, by clicking the button below.