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Perceived Accessibility of Public Transport as a Potential Indicator of Social Inclusion

Author

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  • Katrin Lättman

    (SAMOT/CTF—Service Research Center & Department of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, Sweden)

  • Margareta Friman

    (SAMOT/CTF—Service Research Center & Department of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, Sweden)

  • Lars E. Olsson

    (SAMOT/CTF—Service Research Center & Department of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, Sweden)

Abstract

Perceived accessibility has been acknowledged as an important aspect of transport policy since the 70s. Nevertheless, very few empirical studies have been conducted in this field. When aiming to improve social inclusion, by making sustainable transport modes accessible to all, it is important to understand the factors driving perceived accessibility. Unlike conventional accessibility measures, perceived accessibility focuses on the perceived possibilities and ease of engaging in preferred activities using different transport modes. We define perceived accessibility in terms of how easy it is to live a satisfactory life with the help of the transport system, which is not necessarily the same thing as the objective standard of the system. According to previous research, perceived accessibility varies with the subjectively-rated quality of the mode of transport. Thus, improvements in quality (e.g. trip planning, comfort, or safety) increase the perceived accessibility and make life easier to live using the chosen mode of transport. This study (n=750) focuses on the perceived accessibility of public transport, captured using the Perceived Accessibility Scale PAC (Lättman, Olsson, & Friman, 2015). More specifically, this study aims to determine how level of quality affects the perceived accessibility in public transport. A Conditional Process Model shows that, in addition to quality, feeling safe and frequency of travel are important predictors of perceived accessibility. Furthermore, elderly and those in their thirties report a lower level of perceived accessibility to their day-to-day activities using public transport. The basic premise of this study is that subjective experiences may be as important as objective indicators when planning and designing for socially inclusive transport systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Katrin Lättman & Margareta Friman & Lars E. Olsson, 2016. "Perceived Accessibility of Public Transport as a Potential Indicator of Social Inclusion," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 36-45.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v:4:y:2016:i:3:p:36-45
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    Cited by:

    1. Lättman, Katrin & Olsson, Lars E. & Friman, Margareta, 2018. "A new approach to accessibility – Examining perceived accessibility in contrast to objectively measured accessibility in daily travel," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 501-511.
    2. Tiznado-Aitken, Ignacio & Muñoz, Juan Carlos & Hurtubia, Ricardo, 2021. "Public transport accessibility accounting for level of service and competition for urban opportunities: An equity analysis for education in Santiago de Chile," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    3. Chiara Castelli & Angela Parenti, 2020. "Commuting in Europe: An Inter-regional Analysis on its Determinants and Spatial Effects," Working Papers 2020.19, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    4. Lättman, Katrin & Olsson, Lars E. & Friman, Margareta, 2016. "Development and test of the Perceived Accessibility Scale (PAC) in public transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 257-263.
    5. Erik B Lunke & Nils Fearnley & Jørgen Aarhaug, 2023. "The geography of public transport competitiveness in thirteen medium sized cities," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 50(8), pages 2071-2086, October.
    6. Tiznado-Aitken, Ignacio & Lucas, Karen & Muñoz, Juan Carlos & Hurtubia, Ricardo, 2020. "Understanding accessibility through public transport users' experiences: A mixed methods approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    7. Lisa Bauchinger & Anna Reichenberger & Bryonny Goodwin-Hawkins & Jurij Kobal & Mojca Hrabar & Theresia Oedl-Wieser, 2021. "Developing Sustainable and Flexible Rural–Urban Connectivity through Complementary Mobility Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-23, January.
    8. Margareta Friman & Katrin Lättman & Lars E. Olsson, 2020. "Public Transport Quality, Safety, and Perceived Accessibility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-14, April.
    9. Karzan Ismael & Szabolcs Duleba, 2021. "Investigation of the Relationship between the Perceived Public Transport Service Quality and Satisfaction: A PLS-SEM Technique," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-20, November.
    10. Carolina Busco & Felipe González & Nelson Lillo, 2022. "Safety, Gender, and the Public Transport System in Santiago, Chile," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-15, December.
    11. Pot, Felix Johan & van Wee, Bert & Tillema, Taede, 2021. "Perceived accessibility: What it is and why it differs from calculated accessibility measures based on spatial data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    12. Bryonny Goodwin-Hawkins & Theresia Oedl-Wieser & Ulla Ovaska & Aimee Morse, 2021. "Rural service hubs and socially innovative rural-urban linkages: A conceptual framework for nexogenous development," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 36(7-8), pages 551-568, November.
    13. Castelli, Chiara & Parenti, Angela, 2020. "Commuting in Europe: An Inter-regional Analysis on its Determinants and Spatial Effects," 2030 Agenda 307985, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    14. Rafal Stachyra & Kamil Roman, 2021. "Analysis of Accessibility of Public Transport in Warsaw in the Opinion of Users," Postmodern Openings, Editura Lumen, Department of Economics, vol. 12(3), pages 384-403, August.
    15. Jessica Berg & Malin Henriksson & Jonas Ihlström, 2019. "Comfort First! Vehicle-Sharing Systems in Urban Residential Areas: The Importance for Everyday Mobility and Reduction of Car Use among Pilot Users," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-16, April.
    16. Margareta Friman & Katrin Lättman & Lars E. Olsson, 2020. "Carpoolers’ Perceived Accessibility of Carpooling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-13, October.
    17. Katrin Lättman & Lars E. Olsson & Margareta Friman & Satoshi Fujii, 2019. "Perceived Accessibility, Satisfaction with Daily Travel, and Life Satisfaction among the Elderly," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-15, November.
    18. Sukhov, Alexandre & Friman, Margareta & Olsson, Lars E., 2023. "Unlocking potential: An integrated approach using PLS-SEM, NCA, and fsQCA for informed decision making," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    19. El Murr, Karl & Boisjoly, Genevieve & Waygood, E.O.D., 2023. "Measuring accessibility to parks: Analyzing the relationship between self-reported and calculated measures," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    20. Elmira Jamei & Melissa Chan & Hing Wah Chau & Eric Gaisie & Katrin Lättman, 2022. "Perceived Accessibility and Key Influencing Factors in Transportation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-22, August.
    21. Luz, Gregorio & da Silva Portugal, Licinio, 2021. "Understanding Transport-Related Social Exclusion Through the Lens of Capabilities Approach," OSF Preprints 4d3uy, Center for Open Science.
    22. Saud, Veronica & Thomopoulos, Nikolas, 2021. "Towards inclusive transport landscapes: Re-visualising a Bicycle Sharing Scheme in Santiago Metropolitan Region," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    23. Rajib Sinha & Lars E. Olsson & Björn Frostell, 2019. "Sustainable Personal Transport Modes in a Life Cycle Perspective—Public or Private?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-13, December.
    24. Miriam Ricci & Graham Parkhurst & Juliet Jain, 2016. "Transport Policy and Social Inclusion," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 1-6.

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