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ETC Conference Papers 2021

Building barriers through bias? Establishing measures to tackle unconscious bias in transport

Seminar
Day 1 (13 Sep 2021), Session 1, INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORT, 11:00 - 13:00

Status
Accepted, documents submitted

Submitted by / Abstract owner
Victoria Heald

Authors
Victoria Heald

Short abstract
Despite advances in transport accessibly, users still experience barriers due to the prevalence of unconscious bias in transport. The research addresses the current gap in guidance by recommending measures that practitioners can implement in practice

Abstract
The European Commission’s most recent study into transport satisfaction levels found that 75% of users experience accessibility issues at least once a week when using transport systems; this implies that barriers to accessing and using transport still exist.
An explanation for why barriers continue to prevail is the prevalence of unconscious bias in transport planning. The day-to-day decisions made by transport professionals have a profound impact on the way people travel, yet a lack of awareness, insight and representation in the transport sector can perpetuate biases, meaning that transport systems are not designed with everyone in mind. Thus, barriers to transport are often unintentionally created.
As of yet, limited guidance has been published on how transport planners can overcome bias to create better, more inclusive transport systems.

The purpose of the research is to address this gap in guidance. Results from a large-scale survey of transport planners, as well as the findings from semi-structured interviews with transport and equality groups will be presented. The objective is to use these findings to establish and recommend guidance that is tailored to the sector.

Main findings:
• Only a third of transport planners experience barriers to accessing transport at least once a week; significantly less often than transport users.
• Ethnic minorities were the group whose accessibility needs were least considered by transport planners.
• The transport sector is known for its need to improve diversity, yet almost two thirds thought that their organisation was already diverse across all levels.
• Over a third of transport planners considered the accessibility needs of the focus groups (older, younger and Disabled people, and ethnic minorities) less than once per week.

While the research was undertaken in Great Britain, it is widely applicable to transport sectors in other western countries.
Seven measures were established as a guide to help individuals, organisations and the sector tackle unconscious bias in transport planning; furthering the development of transport systems that are accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Programme committee
Young Researchers' and Practitioners' Forum

Topic
Inclusion and diversity in transport