Smartphones and Transportation
As smartphones become more prominent in the provision of transit services, we need to be careful to not unintentionally push vulnerable segments of the population out of the market
These days, it seems most of us use smartphones for almost everything, from shopping online to buying transit tickets to actually making phone calls! Furthermore, in terms of transit, they can be used to help those who have disabilities to drive. They can also be used to access bicycle, e-bike, and e-scooter sharing, as well as to check transit schedules and order on-demand bus services. Trucking companies can also use them to track their drivers and the goods being transported.
Unfortunately, there is also digital inequality. As explained by Durand et al. (2022), people who have more resources offline tend to be more likely to realize tangible outcomes from using digital technologies — specifically Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) — and digital inequality both reinforces and exacerbates social inequality. For example, digital technology is a part of our daily lives and is enmeshed in many institutions, including educational institutions, and is a part of our everyday lives. Sometimes too, not having a smartphone can lead one to incur higher costs, for example having to pay for a printout of a ticket when, with a smartphone, all one may have to do is swipe a screen.
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