Digital Shared Mobility Services: Operationalizing the Capabilities Approach to Appraise Inclusivity

Abstract

Digitalization has fostered the emergence and transformation of transport services, such as shared transport. Digital literacy and having access to digital platforms are increasingly necessary prerequisites to be mobile and benefit from these services. Consequently, new forms of transport disadvantages have emerged, which might result in the exclusion of vulnerable populations. This paper reviews the literature about transport disadvantages, digital exclusion and shared transport to identify a comprehensive approach to the study of digital shared mobility services (DSMS). By incorporating the digital divide into the Capabilities Approach, a theoretical framework to study DSMS is proposed. The findings of this paper are relevant to decision-makers, practitioners and researchers working within the field of urban mobility and shared transport services. The theoretical framework proposed is useful to understand the unequal use of DSMS and appraise their inclusivity. This framework is also useful for transport operators and policy-makers interested in adopting a user-centred perspective.