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Sustainable Public Transportation in the Digitalization Era

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2019) | Viewed by 29532

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Special Issue Editors

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ari K. M. Tarigan

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Guest Editor

Department of Safety, Economics and Planning, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger， 4036 Stavanger, Postboks 8600 Forus, Norway
Interests: Sustainable transport; transport engineering; transport safety; urban planning

Prof. Dr. Trond Nordfjærn

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Guest Editor

Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Interests: Sustainable transport; transport safety; transport psychology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Encouraging and promoting public transport use, such as buses, metros, ferries, and trains, for both existing and potential users have been one of the crucial strategies carried out by policymakers, scholars, and private sectors in many countries, especially during the current digitalization era. Research has documented significant influences of sustainable public transport adoption on social, economic, and environmental improvements. Over the past few years, the utilisation of green energy and smart technology is even becoming an integrated part of public transportation services. In Europe, for instance, one of the objectives is to power public transportation modes using renewable energy sources. In some countries like Germany and Sweden, research institutions and car manufacturers have closely worked together to replace traditional buses with electric and biogas-fuelled buses. Policymakers have further implemented technological solutions aimed at eliminating fossil-fuelled vehicles from urban roads, replacing them with sustainable public transportation modes. In addition, new technologies such as automated driving and smart travel app-based platforms are gradually included in public transportation services worldwide, making a great sustainable impact on societies and improving users’ satisfaction with the services.

The core aim of this Special Issue is to illuminate factors associated with the adoption and use of green energy and digital technology-based public transportation services. This Special Issue will highlight the utilisation of green and automated public transportation modes as well as the creation of travel planning apps for supporting effective and efficient travels with public transportation services and how these aspects are linked to societal aspects.

We would like to cordially invite papers for consideration and possible publication in this Special Issue on the topic “Sustainable public transportation in the digitalization era”. We are targeting theoretical, methodological, empirical, and case study-based papers that address issues pertaining to the topic outlined above. The submitted papers may relate to travel behavior, behavioral adaptation, mobility, accessibility, and psychological factors and how these aspects connect to the utilization of green energy and digital technology-based public transportation services. We also encourage papers that specifically target issues related to vulnerable users and gender perspectives, such as whether and, if so, how sustainable and smart public transportation are supportive to low-income, young, elderly, and disabled individuals. Submissions focusing on the security and safety aspects of sustainable transport mode use are also encouraged. All submitted papers will undergo a rigorous peer-review procedure.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ari K. M. Tarigan
Prof. Dr. Trond Nordfjærn
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Sustainable public transport
Digitalization era
Green technology
Transport psychology
Travel behavior
Mobility
Accessibility
Safety and security
Vulnerable users

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 604 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Framework of Aspects for the Evaluation of Multimodal Journey Planners

by Domokos Esztergár-Kiss

Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 4960; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184960 - 11 Sep 2019

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2067

Abstract

Nowadays, several journey planners are available for users with various functionalities. The aim of this research was to provide an overview of European journey planners considering the perspective of the user. Therefore, a framework of aspects was defined, which contains aspects of route planning services, booking and payment, handled data, and supplementary information. Based on these aspects, an evaluation method was elaborated to compare and rank the journey planners. The method consists of two main steps. First, the journey planners were compared (scoring) to each other, which resulted in the general evaluation number. In the scoring step, multi criteria analysis was adapted, because it produces clear and comparable results. As a second step different user groups were introduced and, using preferences of these groups (weighting), the average evaluation number was calculated. Finally, the elaborated method presented a quantified evaluation and ranking of multimodal journey planners, which supports choosing suitable journey planners for the users. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Public Transportation in the Digitalization Era)

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21 pages, 263 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development of Shared Transportation: The Chinese Online Car-hailing Policy Evaluation in the Digitalization Era

by Yuchen Gao and Jingrui Chen

Sustainability 2019, 11(9), 2596; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092596 - 6 May 2019

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4040

Abstract

Online car-hailing services (such as DiDi and Uber) are one of the typical sharing economy forms of transportation service in the digital era. Related public policies are expected to reduce the risk of online car-hailing and ensure the social sustainable development. However, the empirical evidence regarding the effect of relevant policy implementations is still scarce. This study takes an online car-hailing service in China as a research object to understand and evaluate the effect of implementing related policies. The risk related to an online car-hailing service is classified into three dimensions in this study, namely, institutional, economic and safety perspectives. The empirical results indicate that public policies have significant impacts on reducing conflicts and risk of shared transportation in China, especially the institutional risk. Furthermore, the effects of different policy factors differ for different risk types. Several insights of developing policies and regulations related to sustainable shared transportation in the digitalization era are also provided. The interaction between government authorities, private firms and citizens should be attached to great importance in policy design, which will consequently enhance the sustainable development in the transportation sector under sharing economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Public Transportation in the Digitalization Era)

12 pages, 230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Judgement of Transport Security, Risk Sensitivity and Travel Mode Use in Urban Areas

by Torbjørn Rundmo and Trond Nordfjærn

Sustainability 2019, 11(7), 1908; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11071908 - 30 Mar 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2269

Abstract

The current study aims to examine judgement of security in public transport and, more specifically, the role of the priority of security and risk sensitivity in the use of public travel modes versus car among an urban public. The results are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey conducted among residents above 18 years of age in the six most urbanised areas in Norway (n = 1043). The respondents were randomly obtained from the Norwegian population registry. The results showed that priority of security as well as risk sensitivity was significant predictors of travel mode use among an urban public when demographic factors were controlled for. In studies carried out previously, risk sensitivity was conceived to be a predictor of risk perception. The large proportion of explained variance in perceived risk reported in previous studies could be partly due to the use of risk sensitivity as a predictor variable, which is coincident with the criterion variable. It is suggested that the risk perception concept could be replaced with perceived risk evaluations, which cover the intuitive cognitive judgements of probability of an event with negative consequences as well as the severity of consequences if such an event takes place. It is proposed that risk sensitivity could be the main concept, covering the perceived risk evaluations, including intuitive judgments of probability as well as severity of consequences across a set of risk sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Public Transportation in the Digitalization Era)

20 pages, 257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potentials of Context-Aware Travel Support during Unplanned Public Transport Disturbances

by Åse Jevinger and Jan A. Persson

Sustainability 2019, 11(6), 1649; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061649 - 19 Mar 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2516

Abstract

Travel support for public transport today usually takes no or little account of the traveler’s personal needs and current context. Thereby, travelers are often suggested irrelevant travel plans, which may force them to search for information from other sources. In particular, this is a problem during unplanned disturbances. By incorporating the traveler’s context information into the travel support, travelers could be provided with individually tailored information. This would especially benefit travelers who find it more difficult than others to navigate the public transport system. Furthermore, it might raise the accessibility and general attractiveness of public transport. This paper contributes with an understanding of how information about the traveler’s context can enhance the support provided by travel planners, in the case of disturbances in public transport. In particular, the paper includes a high-level analysis of how and in which situations context information can be useful. The analysis shows how information about the traveler’s context can improve travel planners, as well as highlights some risks in relation to some identified scenarios. Several technologies for retrieving information about the physical context of the traveler are also identified. The study is based on a literature review, a workshop, and interviews with domain experts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Public Transportation in the Digitalization Era)

23 pages, 296 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Segmentation, Classification, and Determinants of In-Store Shopping Activity and Travel Behaviour in the Digitalisation Era: The Context of a Developing Country

by Tri Basuki Joewono, Ari K. M. Tarigan and Muhamad Rizki

Sustainability 2019, 11(6), 1591; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061591 - 15 Mar 2019

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3942

Abstract

The influence of digital technologies in the current era has substantially affected the way individuals engage with in-store shopping activities and travels. To prepare a transport policy with sustainable orientations, it is important to investigate factors that determine in-store activity-travel patterns. In particular, knowledge about how in-store activities and travels interact with other forms of activities and travels should be updated, since the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) may be substantial to create new patterns of activity and travel. It is believed that shopping travel and activity behaviours may indicate the increase or decrease of physical travels, which is crucial for carbon emission measures in transportation sector. While numerous studies about this issue have been recently carried out based on the context of developed countries, little is known for the context of developing countries. To offer a better understanding of the nature of in-store shopping travels and activities in the digitalisation era, a household survey was conducted in Bandung, Indonesia. This survey tends to acquire data from respondents as a representation of developing countries on their shopping behaviour, travel characteristics, and spatial attributes that represent the conditions of their built environment. The results from the survey show that individuals in a developing country are still having interest in in-store grocery shopping even though their daily life has a close connection with digital life. The results of the analysis show that grocery shoppers in a developing country simultaneously consider shopping activity, other activities, modes of transport, and shopping expenses. This manifests in the form of trip-chaining activities and affects decisions on the modes of transport used. The results indicate a significant portion of trip frequency for in-store shopping travel with motorised modes. Since motorised modes are the main contribution for carbon emission production in transportation sector, the results of this study are critical for developing transport demand measures and setting relevant policy schemes to improve the sustainability of transportation system, especially for the context of developing countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Public Transportation in the Digitalization Era)

Review

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39 pages, 912 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Flexible Mobility On-Demand: An Environmental Scan

by Sohani Liyanage, Hussein Dia, Rusul Abduljabbar and Saeed Asadi Bagloee

Sustainability 2019, 11(5), 1262; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051262 - 27 Feb 2019

Cited by 57 | Viewed by 14183

Abstract

On-demand shared mobility is increasingly being promoted as an influential strategy to address urban transport challenges in large and fast-growing cities. The appeal of this form of transport is largely attributed to its convenience, ease of use, and affordability made possible through digital platforms and innovations. The convergence of the shared economy with a number of established and emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Cloud and Fog computing—is helping to expedite their deployment as a new form of public transport. Recently, this has manifested itself in the form of Flexible Mobility on Demand (FMoD) solutions, aimed at meeting personal travel demands through flexible routing and scheduling. Increasingly, these shared mobility solutions are blurring the boundaries with existing forms of public transport, particularly bus operations. This paper presents an environmental scan and analysis of the technological, social, and economic impacts surrounding disruptive technology-driven shared mobility trends. Specifically, the paper includes an examination of current and anticipated external factors that are of direct relevance to collaborative and low carbon mobility. The paper also outlines how these trends are likely to influence the mobility industries now and into the future. The paper collates information from a wide body of literature and reports on findings from actual ‘use cases’ that exist today which have used these disruptive mobility solutions to deliver substantial benefits to travellers around the world. Finally, the paper provides stakeholders with insight into identifying and responding to the likely needs and impacts of FMoD and informs their policy and strategy positions on the implementation of smart mobility systems in their cities and jurisdictions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Public Transportation in the Digitalization Era)

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