Digital and socioeconomic inequalities in perceived mobility restrictions for activity participation: Captive users in Madrid
Although COVID-19′s impact on mobility has been widely studied—often highlighting the disproportionate burden on vulnerable groups—two aspects remain understudied: the need for a multidimensional approach to vulnerability, and the role of perceived rather than observed mobility restrictions in shapi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Urban Mobility |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667091725000445 |
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| author | Segundo Paico-Saavedra Alberto Rojas-Rivero Raúl F. Elizondo-Candanedo Aldo Arranz-López Julio A. Soria-Lara |
| author_facet | Segundo Paico-Saavedra Alberto Rojas-Rivero Raúl F. Elizondo-Candanedo Aldo Arranz-López Julio A. Soria-Lara |
| author_sort | Segundo Paico-Saavedra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although COVID-19′s impact on mobility has been widely studied—often highlighting the disproportionate burden on vulnerable groups—two aspects remain understudied: the need for a multidimensional approach to vulnerability, and the role of perceived rather than observed mobility restrictions in shaping access during crises. This study addresses this gap by investigating how structural vulnerabilities (e.g., transport mobility, digital access, and socioeconomic) shaped the ability to engage in work and educational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Madrid Region. A survey of captive public transport users was conducted, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify key dimensions of vulnerability. These dimensions -related to socioeconomic status, digital access, household characteristics, and commuting conditions- were then included in an ordinal logistic regression to assess their influence on perceived mobility difficulty. The results reveal a complex and layered geography of vulnerability. Individuals with limited teleworking capacity, digital exclusion, and economic precarity were significantly more likely to report mobility restrictions, especially in suburban and peripheral areas with fewer transport alternatives. In contrast, those with greater digital access, financial resilience, or private mobility options reported fewer barriers. The findings emphasize that transport-related disadvantages cannot be understood without digital and social inequalities. Policy implications include the need to integrate digital accessibility into transport equity frameworks, improve service provision in structurally dependent areas, and recognize informal household-level mobility strategies as assets. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-425bc76b6c604d7b8bbd496b6ac67a12 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-0917 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Urban Mobility |
| spelling | doaj-art-425bc76b6c604d7b8bbd496b6ac67a122025-08-20T03:59:22ZengElsevierJournal of Urban Mobility2667-09172025-12-01810014210.1016/j.urbmob.2025.100142Digital and socioeconomic inequalities in perceived mobility restrictions for activity participation: Captive users in MadridSegundo Paico-Saavedra0Alberto Rojas-Rivero1Raúl F. Elizondo-Candanedo2Aldo Arranz-López3Julio A. Soria-Lara4AERTEC. C. Miguel Faraday, 20, 28906 Getafe, Madrid SpainTransport Research Centre -TRANSyT-. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. C/ Profesor Aranguren, 3, 28040, Madrid SpainTransport Research Centre -TRANSyT-. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. C/ Profesor Aranguren, 3, 28040, Madrid SpainZaragoza Logistics Center (ZLC). Avenida Ranillas 5, edificio 5A (EXPO), planta baja, 50018, Zaragoza Spain; Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER). Maison des Sciences Humaines 11, Porte des Sciences L-4366 Esch-sur-Alzette / Belval, Luxembourg; Corresponding author.Transport Research Centre -TRANSyT-. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. C/ Profesor Aranguren, 3, 28040, Madrid Spain; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). C/ Serrano, 117, 28006, Madrid, SpainAlthough COVID-19′s impact on mobility has been widely studied—often highlighting the disproportionate burden on vulnerable groups—two aspects remain understudied: the need for a multidimensional approach to vulnerability, and the role of perceived rather than observed mobility restrictions in shaping access during crises. This study addresses this gap by investigating how structural vulnerabilities (e.g., transport mobility, digital access, and socioeconomic) shaped the ability to engage in work and educational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Madrid Region. A survey of captive public transport users was conducted, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify key dimensions of vulnerability. These dimensions -related to socioeconomic status, digital access, household characteristics, and commuting conditions- were then included in an ordinal logistic regression to assess their influence on perceived mobility difficulty. The results reveal a complex and layered geography of vulnerability. Individuals with limited teleworking capacity, digital exclusion, and economic precarity were significantly more likely to report mobility restrictions, especially in suburban and peripheral areas with fewer transport alternatives. In contrast, those with greater digital access, financial resilience, or private mobility options reported fewer barriers. The findings emphasize that transport-related disadvantages cannot be understood without digital and social inequalities. Policy implications include the need to integrate digital accessibility into transport equity frameworks, improve service provision in structurally dependent areas, and recognize informal household-level mobility strategies as assets.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667091725000445EquityResilienceTeleworkCaptivityExclusionCommute |
| spellingShingle | Segundo Paico-Saavedra Alberto Rojas-Rivero Raúl F. Elizondo-Candanedo Aldo Arranz-López Julio A. Soria-Lara Digital and socioeconomic inequalities in perceived mobility restrictions for activity participation: Captive users in Madrid Journal of Urban Mobility Equity Resilience Telework Captivity Exclusion Commute |
| title | Digital and socioeconomic inequalities in perceived mobility restrictions for activity participation: Captive users in Madrid |
| title_full | Digital and socioeconomic inequalities in perceived mobility restrictions for activity participation: Captive users in Madrid |
| title_fullStr | Digital and socioeconomic inequalities in perceived mobility restrictions for activity participation: Captive users in Madrid |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital and socioeconomic inequalities in perceived mobility restrictions for activity participation: Captive users in Madrid |
| title_short | Digital and socioeconomic inequalities in perceived mobility restrictions for activity participation: Captive users in Madrid |
| title_sort | digital and socioeconomic inequalities in perceived mobility restrictions for activity participation captive users in madrid |
| topic | Equity Resilience Telework Captivity Exclusion Commute |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667091725000445 |
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