Unmet needs, unjust journeys: Exploring mobility injustice perceptions among disadvantaged groups

Abstract

Justice in mobility has been conceptualized and assessed through various frameworks, yet it is also deeply influenced by individual experiences and perceptions. Achieving mobility justice, therefore, requires aligning top-down transportation policies with the lived realities of those directly affected. This paper examines how mobility justice is perceived and experienced by disadvantaged socio-economic groups, focusing on the interplay between spatial distribution and individual mobility experiences. Using a convergent parallel design for the mixed-methods approach, the study uses a neighbourhood-level survey and 16 in-depth interviews conducted in Berg am Laim, Munich. The findings reveal four key dimensions that lead to mobility injustice perceptions for disadvantaged socio-economic groups: (1) unequal distribution of street space for cyclists, (2) the dominance and prioritization of car-centric infrastructure in public street management, (3) even when affordable options such as the Deutschland ticket exist, the rigidity and inflexibility of public transport pricing schemes leads to perceptions of injustice, and (4) barriers within public transport systems for people with physical, cognitive, or linguistic challenges. In addition, despite policy improvements and the prerequisites for a more sustainable mobility system in Munich, disregarding perceptions of injustice among disadvantaged socioeconomic groups might risk causing more preference for cars. A more just public transport system would be tailored to the diversity of its users, as a one-size-fits-all approach often leaves the most disadvantaged feeling excluded.

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