Improving access to public transport by mapping passengers to the co-domain of mobility barriers

This study proposes a framework that maps passengers to the co-domain of mobility barriers and to use only the latter when developing solutions for improving access to public transport. By applying Item Response Theory to a convenience sample of people disproportionately affected by disabilities, we estimate the latent risk of failing to access public transport for each barrier type. The analysis shows that personal characteristics and barriers are systematically related to varying extents, even within groups of individuals with the same impairment. Therefore, we suggest moving beyond average associations and instead constructing a privacy-respectful, actionable, and personalised barrier-data information system that maps passengers to the barrier co-domain. The paper details practical implementation steps and discusses benefits and limitations. • Mapping passenger to mobility barriers helps developing personalised solutions. • Mobility barriers can vary within groups and be the same across groups. • Mapping offers helps with personalisation, privacy and provides actionable information.