Access denied? Digital inequality in transport services

Abstract

Digitalisation in transport services offers many benefits for travellers. However, not everyone is willing or able to follow the new, more or less formal requirements digitalisation has brought along. Existing reviews on the intersection between Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and mobility cover a range of vantage points, but the perspective of how various levels of engagement with digital technologies affect access and navigation of transport services has not been addressed yet. In communication science, studying disparities in terms of ICT appropriation and their consequences is known as digital inequality research. This review paper aims at shedding light on what digital inequality in the context of transport services consists of and what its consequences are. To do so, we define and use a conceptual framework for the analysis of digital inequality in transport services. The review of the twenty-five papers, as selected in our systematic literature search, shows that there is a burgeoning interest in this topic. Vulnerability to digitalisation in transport services exists along dimensions of age, income, education, ethnicity, gender and geographical region. We find that motivations and material access get more attention than digital skills and effective usage. Nevertheless, literature acknowledges that having material access to technology does not mean that people benefit from what technology has to offer. Furthermore, the characteristics of ICTs impact one's possibilities to access digital technologies, such as how user-friendly a technology is. Data-driven and algorithm-based decision-making present a particularly pernicious form of digital exclusion from transport services. As digital technologies are progressively becoming indispensable to navigate the world of transport services, low levels of digital engagement may create a new layer of transport disadvantage, possibly on top of existing ones. Although digitalisation can be part of the solution to transport disadvantage, it can also be part of the problem. With network effects at play, what might start as a relative disadvantage may turn into an absolute disadvantage. Given the nascent state of research on digital inequality in transport services, much remains to be understood. Suggested research avenues include mechanisms of digital exclusion from transport services, the contribution of digital ARTICLE HISTORY

Understanding transport-related social exclusion through the lens of capabilities approach

“…The report published by the Social Exclusion Unit (Social Exclusion Unit, 2003) was the watershed that put the theme of social exclusion on the transport policy agenda. Since then, several conceptual and review studies have been done addressing a variety of issues related to the transport-related social exclusion (TRSE) topic, such as the role of ICT in reducing social exclusion (Durand et al, 2021;Kenyon et al, 2002;Lucas, 2019); the relationship between mobility, accessibility, and social exclusion (Cass et al, 2005;Preston & Rajé, 2007); the centrality of accessibility in the social inclusion and equity agenda (Farrington & Farrington, 2005;Farrington, 2007;van Wee & Geurs, 2011); the link between transport and well-being (Adeel et al, 2016;Ma et al, 2018;Oviedo & Sabogal, 2020); the relationship between social capital, transport and social inclusion (Gray et al, 2006;Schwanen et al, 2015) the synergy between social exclusion and environmental justice in transport policies (Lucas, 2006); how TRSE concepts and definitions have been translated into policy and practice (Lucas, 2012); transport appraisal methods and social exclusion (Lucas et al, 2016;van Wee & Geurs, 2011), and measures of TRSE (Kamruzzaman et al, 2016;Pyrialakou et al, 2016). This large amount of works originated a growing lack of conceptual clarity about what TRSE and its related terms actually mean (Arranz-López et al, 2019).…”

The Learning of E-Sustainability Competences: A Comparative Study between Future Early Childhood and Primary School Teachers

“…First of all, the manufacturing processes associated with ICT often lead to serious problems of pollution and the depletion of natural resources, as well as new forms of slavery [23,24]. Moreover, the impact of the digital divide is particularly damaging for the most vulnerable groups, who experience serious difficulties in accessing the possibilities offered by technological devices [25][26][27][28]. Hence, digital competences training in sustainability has become a key element for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda [29].…”

Reform of the Route Network as a Catalyst for Social Processes

“…Многие пассажиры не знают, что можно пройти регистрацию карты «Тройка» для бесплатных пересадок по ней. Определенная «мода» на цифровизацию транспорта обусловливает трудности в восприятии населением транспортных систем нового поколения [Durand et al, 2022].…”

“…28.10.2014. URL: https://www.m24.ru/articles/polikliniki/28102014/58736?utm_source=CopyBuf (дата обращения 01.05 2022). 2 Они поменяли все автобусы!…”