Future prospects for personal security in travel by public transport

This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/I037032/1]. No other funding support from any other bodies was provided.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Identification of the regional and economic contexts of sustainable urban logistics policies

Urban logistics policies have become instrumental in achieving sustainable transport systems. Developing and emerging countries still lag far behind in the implementation of such policies when compared with developed countries. This exposure gap provides an opportunity for policy transfer, but this is a complex process requiring knowledge of many contextual factors and involving multiple steps. A good understanding of those contextual factors of measures by cities may be critical for a successful transfer. Our study aimed to identify the different contexts of urban logistics measures or policies worldwide and to assess their significance for policy transferability. In this study, urban logistics measures discussed in the literature were retrieved with a systematic literature review method and then the contexts were recorded, distinguishing between economic development levels and geographical regions. The analysis revealed that the economic level and geographical location of cities both have a strong association with the type of measure implemented. Barriers and drivers were identified by assessing policy transfer between developed and developing countries. Institutional and physical barriers appeared to be highly pertinent for a range of measures, while drivers or facilitators were identified from specific problems in developing countries and the respective measures in developed countries. Thus, the analysis of contextual factors can provide a first response to the key challenges and opportunities of sustainable urban logistics policies transfer to developing countries

An Overview of Intelligent Transport Systems Research at the Institute of Transport Studies at Monash University

The Institute of Transport Studies was established in 1995 as a joint venture between Monash University and the University of Sydney. This paper provides an overview of current research at ITS (Monash) which is concerned with Intelligent Transport Systems. The main areas of research in that field relate to Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) and Advanced Traveller Information Systems (ATIS). A number of specific projects are reviewed including the prediction of incident induced delays on freeways, improving the delivery of roadside assistance services, travel time prediction for freeways, traveller advisory telephone systems and financing models for ATIS systems. This paper was presented at a workshop on Intelligent Transport Systems hosted by INRETS in France from 5 to 9 October 1998

The use of social media by train operating companies: A study case analysis

Social media increasingly provides a tool for public transport operators to interact with users and non-users of their services and collect user-generated data. The high variance of information produced by large user communities makes social media a significant player in service-oriented markets. Indeed, micro-blogging has spread to the transport field as a means to provide time-sensitive information and to engage customers. Nevertheless, there is a lack of understanding on the policies and extent to which micro-blogging is used by public transport operators as they engage with their customers. Social media is a tool that can be used for engagement, however there is no analysis of its application by private rail operators. This paper addresses a gap in understanding regarding the use of social media among passenger train operating companies. In particular, it provides a case study on Twitter use by rail operators in the specific context of the UK; chosen as private train operating companies are only responsible for operating services rather than infrastructure planning. Specific aims clarify (i) the level and the type of stakeholder engagement through social media by private rail operators in Britain and (ii) how they use the micro-blogging tool to engage with their stakeholders. An analysis of five study cases on the use of micro-blogging by British passenger train companies is presented. Twitter is chosen as the social media application in the study cases as it is the only social media platform used by all British rail operators, as well as being seen as an information sharing platform rather than a purely social application. The paper shows evidence that Twitter use by train operators in Britain reflects a mainly information sharing function, however their policies and tweets indicate the use of Twitter for two-way stakeholder engagement. Recommendations based on the study cases are provided, reflecting the best practices for Twitter use by transport operators

The future of car mobility 2014-2030 ; material for a debate on framing smart mobility

Smart mobility, seen as car based solutions with greater fuel efficiency and shifts to cars that are essentially information technology-products, is sometimes presented as the way forward for car mobility. This article presents developments, visions and scenarios for a debate on the role and the frame of smart mobility in the future of car mobility. Sustainability and life style issues are introduced as important backgrounds. As for a majority of households smart mobility solutions are important, it can be concluded that an important minority of households is searching for other solutions than technological framed smart mobility

Gender, smart mobility and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted people’s main routine, which certainly includes their mobility habits. This paper aims to assess the pandemic’s mobility impacts and whether these may have increased the already existing inequality between men and women. In particular, the variation of mode choice in a pre-COVID and post-COVID scenario is investigated, focusing on the use of transport mode defined as Smart Mobility. The analysis is performed on data collected in thirteen European countries between July and September 2020 through a survey designed using an intersectional approach. Responses are analyzed to highlight correlations between different factors affecting mobility changes: some interest is reserved to the modes used according to the journey scope (work, errand, shopping). Overall, results reveal more people walking for their daily journeys, while a significant decrease in the use of public transport is observed. Although these changes affect women more, the main reason behind this is the need for more safety in terms of low risk of contagion, irrespective of gender. A specific focus on using modes commonly associated with a Smart Mobility offer (such as shared modes, public transport, walking, and biking) reveals differences originating when comparing men and women responses and various age ranges.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Evaluating Satisfaction in Shared Lanes as Part of Sustainable Transport Infrastructure by Using VR Technology – Evidence from Urban China

The concept of sharing transport infrastructure has become increasingly prominent in the sustainable society due to limited resources in urban cities. Shared lanes where cars, electric motorcycles, and bicycles are permitted have been promoted in urban China to overcome the shortage of road space available to meet the increasing traffic demand. Based on VR video and questionnaire survey, this study has identified that the levels of satisfaction of drivers, e-motorcyclists, and cyclists are associated with the factors of traffic condition and lane characteristics among various shared lanes. Based on the analysis of data by a multinomial ordered logistic regression model, the major findings of this study are summarised as follows: (1) Satisfaction was mainly affected by lane width, lane number, lane type, and presence of parking space in the driver group. (2) Lane width, lane number, lane type, presence of parking space, speed, and lateral separation were the main factors in the e-motorcyclist group. (3) For the group of cyclists, lane width, lane number, presence of slope, presence of parking space, speed, and lateral separation were identified as the main factors. Our study will help local government officials to design more effective sustainable transport infrastructures

The Role of Mobility Digital Ecosystems for Age-Friendly Urban Public Transport:A Narrative Literature Review

Within the context of the intersection of the global megatrends of urbanisation, ageing societies and digitalisation, this paper explores older people’s mobility, with a particular interest in public transport, and a strong consideration of digital/ICT elements. With a focus on (smart) mobility, the paper aims to conceptualise transport, one of the main domains of age-friendly cities as a core element of a smart, age-friendly ecosystem. It also aims to propose a justice-informed perspective for the study of age-friendly smart mobility; to contribute towards a framework for the evaluation of age-friendly smart transport as a core element of the global age-friendly cities programme that comprises mobility practices, digital data, digital networks, material/physical geographies and digital devices and access; and to introduce the term “mobility digital ecosystem” to describe this framework. The paper uses the method of a narrative literature review to weave together a selected range of perspectives from communications, transport, and mobility studies in order to introduce the embeddedness of both communication technology use and mobility practices into their material conditions. Combining insights from communications, mobility and transport and social gerontology with a justice perspective on ICT access and mobility, the paper then develops a framework to study age-friendly smart mobility. What we call a “mobility digital ecosystem” framework comprises five elements—mobility practices, digital data, digital networks, material geographies, digital devices and access to services. The paper contributes a justice-informed perspective that points towards a conceptualisation of age-friendly smart mobility as a core element of the age-friendly cities and communities in the WHO’s global age-friendly cities programme