Highly automated public transport for everybody: Insights from Focus Groups

Over one billion individuals globally live with some form of disability, and the implementation of highly automated public transport vehicles (APTVs) holds significant promise for enhancing their quality of life. The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify specific requirements by passengers with special needs (PwSNs) towards APTVs, identifying concerns and gathering solutions from PwSNs, their representatives, and public transport providers. Forty participants from Finland, Germany and Spain, including mobility-impaired and visually impaired users, elderly, tourists, and public transport stakeholders, engaged in 8 focus group discussions. Key findings highlight the importance of safety, accessibility, comfort, and responsiveness in APTVs. Safety concerns include the need for emergency systems and human assistance to handle emergencies and technical malfunctions. Specific requirements regarding e.g., abnormal situations detection, accessibility aids in snow and icy conditions, solutions for clearing occupied spaces, as well as the necessity of humans in selected cases were outlined. The study emphasizes the need for co-creating solutions to boost acceptance and reduce barriers to APTV adoption, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for all passengers.