A new open access article by Dmitry Boyko and Kerstin J. Schaefer has been published in European Transport Research. In this study, they review how the academic literature deals with inequalities related to app-based access to transportation. In recent years, the growing popularity of smartphone applications has established apps as the primary interface for accessing transport services. This has raised concerns among scholars regarding its potentially negative impacts, such as exacerbating barriers to accessing transportation via apps and digital platforms in general. The authors summarise the vulnerable social groups affected, categorize the types of access barriers they face, and synthesize solutions proposed in existing studies. By applying an intersectional lens, they explore how digital and mobility inequalities overlap, and introduce the concept of digital mobility inequalities. The paper concludes by proposing future research directions and outlining mitigation strategies, with the aim of fostering a critical reflection on the equity implications of the growing reliance on app-based mobility platforms.
This publication is a result from the VolkswagenStiftung funded project “Digital Access to Mobility”.
Boyko, D.; Schaefer, K.J. (2026): Smartphone apps for mobility access from a social inequality perspective: a systematic literature review. Eur. Transp. Res. Rev. 18, 21, DOI: 10.1186/s12544-026-00772-x
