Interested in transport? Looking for a topic for your final project, your master’s thesis, or even a full-fledged PhD? Below you will find a selection of research ideas you could take on within the Fair Transport Lab. Each of these topics covers a challenge affecting a substantial share of the population. Addressing the challenge can help to improve people’s mobility experiences and help build a fairer transport system. Each of the ideas is meant as starting point. They are open to further development, refinement, and critical exploration. Students interested in pursuing one of these topics are invited to contact Karel Martens to discuss the possibilities for developing it into a research project.
Fair public transport: beyond coverage versus ridership
Debate about public transport provision are often framed as a trade-off between coverage and ridership, where coverage—low-frequency service spread widely—is associated with equity, and ridership—high-quality service on busy corridors—with efficiency. This framing implies that equitable systems must prioritize spatial reach over service quality, while efficient systems do the opposite. However, the distinction is conceptually flawed: coverage is a measure of supply, whereas ridership is an outcome, so they are not true opposites. It is also empirically questionable, as high ridership typically indicates that many people are effectively served, which can itself advance equity. This research examines whether widely dispersed, low-intensity service genuinely promotes equity, or whether actually more concentrated, higher-quality networks better support activity participation among those who depend on public transport.
Public transport appropriation among older adults
Older adults sometimes become dependent on public transport for their mobility as they age – either because they can no longer drive, or because of the death of a partner who was doing most or all of the chauffeuring. This sometimes entails needing to learn to use public transport at an old age, in many cases following several decades of non-use – a complex process termed appropriation. Very little is known about how older adults deal with the challenge of appropriating public transport use – a multidimensional task involving cognitive, social and technical demands. We suggest studying this phenomenon using qualitative methodology, focussing on the lived experience of older adults appropriating public transport use, its challenges, and implications on mobility and wellbeing.
A device for the safe travel of infants in inter-city (high) buses [in collaboration with industrial engineering]
Intercity (high) buses are the main public transport mode used for long range travel in Israel, serving large portions of the population. Parents travelling with infants on intercity buses are expected to hold them throughout the entire ride because, unlike urban buses, there is no designated space for strollers or restraint system for infants. However, this puts these infants at an increased risk during crashes, as intercity buses often operate at high speeds on highways. Aside from the potential lethal risk, this lack of safety infrastructure might deter parents from utilising intercity routes, potentially impeding their mobility, and public transport’s relevance to the general public. This study aims to develop a technological solution to this problem, in the form of a specialized deployable infant seat, that allows safe travel when a family with an infant boards an intercity bus.
A better bus stop for the Israeli context [in collaboration with industrial engineering/architecture]
How often do you find yourself in a boiling bus stop in August, with no place to sit, waiting 15 minutes for your bus with not even a sliver of shade? It is no secret that bus stops in Israel are often inadequate for the local climate – failing to provide sufficient shade in summer, adequate shelter in winter, or clear visibility of incoming buses. This design-oriented research aims to explore innovative options for bus stops, integrating user-centred urban design with climate responsive architecture, ensuring that public transport remains a viable and dignified choice.