Digital-Enabled Last Mile: A Study of Passenger Trips in Rural, Low-density Populated Areas

Abstract

Public transportation in rural areas is difficult due to low numbers of passengers and diverse needs, also reflected in the last mile problem that points to the distance to access transportation hubs in order to connect with core networks of transportation. In this paper, we study public transportation in rural areas using a digital-enabled, demand-responsive service called Plustur. This service was recently introduced as an effort to increase mobility in underserved rural areas by creating routes ad-hoc to answer to the last mile(s). We study how passengers and drivers understand Plustur, as well as experience the role of passenger. Our findings show that Plustur is viewed as a benefit for autonomy of mobility in rural areas, however is lacking in addressing integration of modes of mobilities, flexibility and spontaneous trips. We contribute with design implications for digital multimodal mobility services.