Towards an Enabled Journey: An Investigation of the Whole Journey Chain for Public Transport Journeys by People with Disabilities

Abstract

The ability to travel freely and independently to participate in society is essential for an individual’s well-being and quality of life. However, the inability to access public transport (PT) due to barriers in the urban environment and PT systems is one of the driving forces that lead to social exclusion for people with disabilities. The aim of this research is to attain a comprehensive insight into the travel behaviour of people with disabilities. It has two objectives. The primary objective is to examine the root cause of the difficulties faced by independent riders, with disabilities, when using PT. The secondary objective is to highlight the importance of the “bottom-up” approach for policy implementation and engagement with the disabled community. This research employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to assist decision-makers and practitioners in designing inclusive PT systems. Data was collected through a series of semi-structured interviews and stated preference surveys around various cities of New Zealand between 2017 and 2019. The thesis consists of two parts, each addressing a specific research question. The first part consists of three studies. The first two adopts the “whole journey chain” concept to identify and prioritise the critical barriers which impede the ability of physically and visually impaired users to travel in a PT journey chain, from origin to destination. Further, the similarities and differences between these barriers are investigated. The findings showed that prioritising the improvement of bus driver training, more strategically placed pedestrian crossings and better presentation of information would bring the most significant mobility benefits. Bus driver’s attitude and unawareness of disabled users’ needs was a common concern. The main barriers for physically impaired users were related to the urban environment, stations and stops, services, and quality of footpaths. In comparison, the main barriers for visually impaired users were the poor presentation of information and obstructions on footpaths. Decision-makers are encouraged to adopt the “accessible journey chain” to eliminate and minimise barriers. For people with disabilities, this means improving the ability to interact more fully in society. To further understand the discrepancies between practitioners and users, a multi-criteria decision-making method “Analytic Hierarchy Process” (AHP), is adopted to determine any differences in the users’ needs and practitioners’ prioritisation of accessibility features for a PT journey chain. The study revealed discrepancies between the prioritisation by practitioners and users. In particular, bus driver attitude accounted for the largest disparity between the two groups. The most important factors perceived by practitioners are crossing facilities, followed by access to stops/stations and quality of footpaths. Practitioners value the built environment component of the journey chain more than the PT component by users. The study highlights the need for practitioners to shift their prioritisation closer to the needs of people with disabilities to eliminate existing barriers. This first part of the study revealed the level of disappointment, mistrust, and frustration felt by the disabled community. Their ability and willingness to participate more fully in society is obstructed by barriers that can be resolved through consultation and prioritisation in design. The second part of the thesis investigates the operational aspect of transfer-making in an integrated PT system. The two studies examine the trip attributes which influence the decisions of people with disabilities to use PT routes involving a transfer. Transfer waiting time was revealed to have the most significant effect on non-PT user’s willingness to ride transfer routes. In contrast, personal safety was the most significant factor for current PT users’, on the condition that infrastructure facilitating transfers are accessible. This reinforces the importance of having stringent regulations to ensure that PT infrastructure is compliant with accessibility design standards to allow disabled users to ride PT independently. A psychological model, Weber’s Law “Just Noticeable Difference” (JND), is adopted to determine the least travel and transfer time required for disabled PT users to perceive integrated routes with transfers as a feasible option. Disabled PT users desired a reduction in their current travel times by at least 31%. It also includes the examination of the effects of quality of accessibility features on transfer waiting and walking time. There was minimal effect on the desired travel time savings given an interchange with better quality accessibility features. However, participants desired a higher transfer waiting time for complex interchanges compared to simple stations. These values can be used to assist transport planners to reconsider how they design integrated systems to improve their attractiveness for the disabled community. This research provides a comprehensive insight into the perspective of disabled travellers. By adopting a more holistic view of the PT journey chain, decision-makers and practitioners can develop a better understanding of the needs of people with disabilities, and thereby, incorporate approaches towards achieving a more inclusive transportation network. In summary, the following main contributions of this thesis are: a) The adoption of the “accessible journey chain” concept to identify critical issues relative to the whole PT journey chain. b) Investigating the similarities and differences in the perceived barriers between two common disability types, physical and visual impairment. c) The quantification of the relative weightings perceived by practitioners and disabled PT users in the prioritisation of common accessibility features using AHP. d) Determining the average values of the JND constant, k, for the relationship between travel time and transfer time.