Investigating the needs of people with disabilities to ride public transport routes involving transfers

Most studies on the operation and planning of integrated systems have been based on the needs of public transport users without disabilities. However, people with disabilities face different challenges when riding public transport. This study adopts Weber’s Law "Just Noticeable Difference" to investigate the travel time savings and transfer time desired by public transport users with disabilities when selecting a route with transfer(s). An online survey was undertaken in major cities around New Zealand. A total of 108 public transport users with disabilities who have traveled independently in the last five years participated. Results show a variation among the travel time savings required by different groups of users with disabilities when choosing transfers. Participants with multiple impairments were less willing to choose a transfer route (k=0.458), followed by participants with cognitive impairments (k=0.315). There is a negligible difference in willingness between participants with physical (k=0.255) and visual impairments (k=0.253). Findings from this study are expected to assist transport planners and public transport operators in reconsidering how they design integrated systems to ensure ease of transfers for people with disabilities.