Inclusiveness, Accessibility, and Equity in Public Transport

UITP Asia-Pacific Centre for Transport Excellence launched a research project on Inclusiveness, Accessibility, and Equity in Public Transport in March 2025.

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) launched a dedicated research project in March 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 aspects of social equity and how cities are working to improve equity in public transport by addressing issues associated with affordability and accessibility.

Urbanisation across the Asia-Pacific region is accelerating. Cities are not only expanding, but they are becoming more diverse and older. Public transport, as a key enabler of social and economic participation, also needs to keep pace with the changing times. Many cities face structural challenges related to:

• Physical inaccessibility
• Limited geographical coverage
• Affordability barriers
• Safety and comfort gaps
• Ageing or legacy infrastructure

And 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.

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 work
• Case studies showcasing innovation, design, policy shifts, and user-centric approaches

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

This is a project in collaboration with LTA Singapore and UITP AP CTE (the main project manager). The methodology and process for the project will be:

1. Literature Review & Mapping – Collect existing materials guidelines and papers on accessibility and inclusiveness in AP public transport systems through desktop study.
2. 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 stakeholders (authorities/councils) if they have conducted any survey or study to understand inclusivity of their public tranport infrastructure).
3. 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.
4. Utilise insights collected by previous studies done under the Knowledge & Innovation department of UITP related to this topic.
5. Utilise UITP working groups’ meetings as advisory board along the way to ensure ideas recommended in the report are appropriate and applicable to members.
6. Case Study Analysis – Select representative cities in the Asia-Pacific region with varying levels of public transport development.
7. Framework Development & Suggestion – Develop a framework based on the factors/indicators identified from the study.
8. Publish a comprehensive report along with executive summary.

Do you want to be involved? AP CTE is looking for:

• Contributions to case studies, use-cases, and blogs
• Your articles on the latest trends in Asia-Pacific and beyond – to be posted with your name & company on the UITP website!

Interested to participate in this research? Contact [email protected] or [email protected]

AP CTE will publish a research report upon completion of the project.