Inclusiveness, Accessibility and Equity in Public Transport
Research Background:
As cities across the Asia-Pacific region grow in population, diversity, and complexity, the need for public transport systems that are inclusive, accessible, and socially equitable has never been more urgent.
To support this critical transition, the UITP Asia-Pacific Centre for Transport Excellence (AP CTE) has launched a dedicated research project in July 2025, in partnership with LTA Singapore, to explore how cities can better address and understand the needs of all passengers especially the most underserved and marginalised groups.
This study will look at the aspects of social equity and how cities are working on to improve equity in public transport by addressing issues associated with affordability, and accessibility.
Why This Research Matters
Urbanisation across the Asia-Pacific is accelerating. Cities are not only expanding but they are becoming more diverse and older. Public transport, a key enabler of social and economic participation, also need to keep pace with changing time. Many cities face structural challenges related to:
- Physical inaccessibility
- Limited geographical coverage
- Affordability barriers
- Safety and comfort gaps
- Ageing or legacy infrastructure
These limitations disproportionately affect:
- Women
- The elderly
- People with disabilities or reduced mobility
- Caregivers with young children
- Low-income and socially excluded populations
This research aims to identify these gaps, helping key stakeholders unlock the full social, economic, and environmental potential of a truly inclusive public transport network.
What We’re Exploring
The study focuses on how cities are advancing social equity through public transport by improving affordability, physical and digital accessibility, and inclusive design.
It will provide:
- A regional overview of current gaps and best practices.
- A framework of actionable recommendations for cities at different stages of development based on factors/indicators collected through case study.
- Case studies showcasing innovation, design, policy shifts, and user-centric approaches.
Target Audience
This research is designed to support and inform:
- Policy Makers (National and Local Governments)
- Public Transport Authorities
- Public Transport Operators
- Urban Planners and Mobility Experts
- Advocacy Groups representing marginalised users
Methodology:
This is a project in collaboration with LTA Singapore and UITP AP CTE (being the main project manager, the methodology and process for the project will be as:
- Literature Review & Mapping- Collect existing materials guidelines and papers on accessibility and inclusiveness in AP PT systems through desktop study.
- Stakeholder Consultation- Conduct interviews and meeting with authorities, operators and stakeholders involved. Combine quantitative data (e.g., ridership statistics, fare structures, infrastructure design, etc) with qualitative insights (e.g ask stakeholder’s (authorities/councils) if they have conducted any survey or study to understand inclusivity of their PT infrastructure).
- Online Roundtable/Workshop(s) with authorities, operators and private players to discuss framework, policies, challenges/gaps and opportunities for the provision of inclusive, accessible and affordable public transport.
- Utilise insights collected by previous studies done under the Knowledge and Innovation department of UITP related to this topic.
- Utilise UITP working groups’ meetings as advisory board along the way to ensure ideas recommended in the report are appropriate and applicable to members.
- Case Study Analysis- Select representative cities in the Asia-Pacific region with varying levels of public transport development.
- Framework Development & Suggestion- Develop a framework based on the factors/indicators identified from the study.
- Publish a comprehensive report along with executive summary.
Get Involved
Do you want to be involved? AP CTE is looking for
- Contributor to case studies/use-cases/blogs.
- Writing blog articles to be posted on UITP website on this topic looking at the latest trends in Asia-Pacific and beyond.
Interested to participate in this research? Contact [email protected] or [email protected]
Deliverable
AP CTE will publish a research report upon completion of the project.