Designing the digital for all: new project TRIPS focuses on inclusive digital mobility solutions

With the evolution of digitalisation moving so quickly, keeping a people-centric approachamidst all technological developments is key for our sector. While innovations such as automated vehicles (AVs), artificial intelligence (AI) and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) are stirring up the sector like never before, their end-goal is and will remain the same: tobetter serve our customers and create a sustainable mobility system for all.

You say people-centric approach, you (should) think inclusiveness. Many mobility services today are offered to customers through digital channels, leaving some, literally, at the side of the road. This is a critical point for people with a disability and seniors, who might be disoriented by the widespread digitisation of society. In Europe alone, 80 millioncitizens face long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment.

To advance inclusiveness in public transport, UITP has now entered into new EU-funded project TRIPS (TRansport Innovation for vulnerable-to-exclusion People needs Satisfaction). The goal of TRIPS is to design practical steps to empower people with disabilities to play a central role in the design of inclusive digital mobility solutions.

Coordinated by Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), TRIPS brings together senior citizens and migrant organisations, transport operators, municipalities, assistive technology providers as well as academics and students in design and transport management toengage in an open dialogue on innovation in mobility.

Gathering partners and stakeholders from all across Europe, TRIPS has an international reach that will validate outcomes among a wide range of vulnerable usersto ensure that outcomes are relevant to the wider population and transport ecosystem.TRIPS solutions will be piloted in seven different cities (Lisbon, Zagreb, Bologna, Cagliari, Brussels, Sofia, Stockholm). The project will run for three years.

In the end, TRIPS seeks to help regional authorities and businesses indesigning digital transport solutionsthat cater forindividual needsandsupport policy makersin designing appropriate regulatory frameworks andsocial and educational strategies.

The TRIPS website will be launched soon, so stay tuned! For more information about the project you can also contact Project ManagerSteven Barbosa.

Inclusiveness is an ever-important topic on the research and innovation agenda. Readherehow the recently completedFAIR STATIONS projectmanaged to create better accessible stations for all!

The digital transformation of the public transport sector is one of the key themes at IT-TRANS. 

Register to join us at IT-TRANS!