Mobility hubs facilitate multimodal transport and have the potential to improve the accessibility and usability of new mobility services. However, in the context of increasing digitalisation, using mobility hubs requires digital literacy or even owning a smartphone. This constraint may result in the exclusion of current and potential users. Digital kiosks might prove to be a solution, as they can facilitate the use of the services found at mobility hubs. Nevertheless, knowledge of how digital kiosks may improve the experience of disadvantaged groups remains limited in the literature. As part of the SmartHubs project, a field test with a digital kiosk was conducted with 105 participants in Brussels (Belgium) and Rotterdam (The Netherlands) to investigate the intention to use it and its usability in the context of mobility hubs. This study adopted a mixed methods approach, combining participant observation and questionnaire surveys. Firstly, participants were asked to accomplish seven tasks with the digital kiosk while being observed by the researchers. Finally, assisted questionnaire surveys were conducted with the same participants, including close-ended, open-ended and socio-demographic questions. The results offer insights into the experience of the users of a digital kiosk in a mobility hub and the differences across specific social groups. These findings may be relevant for decision-makers and practitioners working in urban mobility on subjects such as mobility hubs and shared mobility, and for user interface developers concerned with the inclusivity of digital kiosks.
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Seamless integration of air segment in the overall multimodal mobility chain is a key challenge to provide more efficient and sustainable transport services. Technology advances offer a unique opportunity to build a new generation of transport services able to match the evolving expectations and needs of society as a whole. In this context, the passenger-centric approach represents a method to inform the design of future mobility services, supporting quality of life, security and services to citizens traveling across Europe. Relying on the concepts of inclusive design, context of use and task analysis, in this article, we present a comprehensive methodological framework for the analysis of passenger characteristics to elicit features and requirements for future multimodal mobility services, including air leg, that are relevant from the perspective of passengers. The proposed methodology was applied to a series of specific use cases envisaged for three time horizons, 2025, 2035 and 2050, in the context of a European research project. Then, passenger-focused key performance indicators and related metrics were derived to be included in a validation step, with the aim of assessing the extent of benefit for passengers that can be achieved in the forecasted scenarios. The results of the study demonstrate the relevance of human variability in the design of public services, as well as the feasibility of personalized performance assessment of mobility services.
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Digital mobility services have great potential to increase passengers' transportation options, improve their experiences and reduce exclusion. For example, they can facilitate access to information and support, and join transport modes together more seamlessly. However, these advantages will only be available to those who can access and use these services effectively. To facilitate the development of usable and inclusive services, information on the range of potential users' digital interface capabilities, attitudes and current use of digital services is needed. A population-representative survey examining these issues was carried out with 1010 participants in Germany in 2020. As well as self-report questions, it examined basic digital interface competence using simplified paper prototyping. The results are examined in terms of the characteristics of groups that are particularly vulnerable to either digital or transport exclusion. Older people (aged 65+), people with disabilities and people with low levels of education were found to have particularly low levels of digital technology access, use, attitudes and competence. Caution is thus required when rolling out digital mobility services. Non-digital alternatives are needed to ensure an inclusive service. When digital interfaces are used, they need to be designed carefully to be usable by and reassuring to digital novices.
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Digital transport eco-systems worldwide provide great advantages to many but also carry a risk of excluding population groups that struggle with accessing or using digital products and services. The DIGNITY project (DIGital traNsport In and for socieTY) delves into the development of such eco-systems to deepen the understanding of the full range of factors that lead to disparities in the uptake of digital transport solutions in Europe. A starting point for developing digitally inclusive transport systems is to obtain state-of-the-art knowledge and understanding of where local transport eco-systems are in relation to the digital gap and digital mobility gap in terms of their policies, transport products and services, and population digital literacy. This chapter presents the methodology developed in the DIGNITY project to frame this digital gap, incorporating a self-assessment framework that may be used by public authorities to identify potential gaps in the development of local digital transport eco-systems. This framework is informed by results from customer journey mapping exercises that provide insights into the daily activities and trips of users, and larger scale surveys on digital technology access, use, attitudes and competence in the area. In the DIGNITY approach as a whole, the results from the framing phase are then used to inform subsequent work on bridging the digital gap through the co-creation of more inclusive policies, products and services. The chapter provides concrete results from the framing exercise in four DIGNITY pilot areas: Barcelona, Tilburg, Flanders and Ancona. The results clearly show that a digital transport gap exists in these areas, and that this is manifested in different ways in different local situations, requiring tailored approaches to address the gap.
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In May 2018, the new Dutch Intelligence and Security Services Act 2017 (Wet op de Inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten, Wiv) will enter into force. It replaces the previous 2002 Act and incorporates many reforms to the information gathering powers of the two intelligence and security services as well as to the accountability and oversight mechanisms. Due to the technologyneutral approach, both the civil and the military intelligence services are now authorized to, for example, intercept communications in bulk, hack third parties, decrypt files, store DNA or use any other future innovative technology. Also, the national security legislation extends the possibilities for the indiscriminate collection of data, and for the processing, storage and analysis thereof. The process leading to the law includes substantial criticism from the various stakeholders involved. Upon publication of this report, an official consultative referendum is being organized on the new act. The aim of this policy brief is to provide an international audience with a comprehensive overview of the most relevant aspects of the act and its context. In addition, there is considerable focus on the checks and balances as well as the bottlenecks of the Dutch intelligence gathering reform. The selection of topics is based on the core issues addressed during the parliamentary debate and on the authors’ insights.
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The objective of the ITRACT2 project is to create attractive transport options for regions with low population densities including rural areas. A basic assumption of the ITRACT project is that information and communication technology can be used to build IT services that allow for more adaptive transport services and that these adaptive transport services create a better match between supply (transport schedules) and demand (traveller needs) and therefore a more viable business case.
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Information and communications technologies (ICTs) in human services are on the rise and raise concerns about their place and impact on the daily activities of professionals and clients. This article describes a study in which a social mobile application was developed for job coaches and employees and implemented in a pilot phase. The aim of the mobile application was to provide a better communication between employees and their job coaches and to provide more up-to-date information about the organization. The application consisted of a personal web environment and app with vacancies, personal news, events, tips, and promotions. A qualitative methodology was used in the form of focus groups and in-depth interviews. The results of this study show that the participants are partly positive about the social mobile application. It can be concluded that the use of mobile technologies can be beneficial in a range of human services practice settings for both professionals and clients and, therefore, requires more attention from the academic field to focus on this relatively new but promising theme.
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