The SINFONICA project is driving the future of Cooperative, Connected, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) by focusing on inclusivity and enhancing public acceptance through a deep understanding of user needs. To ensure that CCAM deployments cater to all, gathering population-level data on the factors influencing people’s future use of these technologies is crucial. This data highlights the barriers to adoption and helps identify who might be excluded from CCAM solutions and why, allowing us to tailor future services to reduce exclusion and improve accessibility.

Survey Participation and Demographics

A total of 4,472 participants completed the SINFONICA online survey, providing valuable input for our analysis. Participants were distributed across several countries, with the majority coming from Germany (n=2,227), Netherlands (n=620), United Kingdom (n=520), Italy (n=517), Greece (n=504), Belgium (n=19), Spain (n=9) and Sweden (n=5). These responses offer a broad, diverse view of user needs, enabling us to understand better how different populations perceive and prioritise features of CCAM in public transport.

Key User Needs: Availability, Accessibility, Affordability, and Acceptability

The central focus of the survey was to explore user preferences around four critical factors of CCAM services: availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability. Participants were asked:

“As a passenger, how important would the following features of a CCAM vehicle be to you personally for a public transport trip?”

Respondents rated 15 aspects of CCAM services using a sliding scale ranging from 1 (very unimportant) to 101 (very important). As illustrated in the graph below, all features scored well above 50, reflecting users’ high importance on these factors.

Among the most critical aspects were safety and security. These concerns consistently ranked as top priorities for potential CCAM users, emphasising the need for robust safety measures in future deployments. Similarly, the availability of CCAM services was also rated highly significant, with users indicating that consistent, reliable access to these services will be a key factor in their adoption.

Results of SINFONICA online survey on EU Sample of the importance of availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability. Cases weighted by age and gender according to fit Eurostat distribution.

Focusing on Inclusivity: Addressing Mobility Challenges

A core objective of the SINFONICA project is to ensure inclusivity in future mobility solutions. As we dive deeper into the data, special attention will be given to people with mobility challenges. These individuals often face unique barriers in public transport, and CCAM services have the potential to improve their mobility options if designed thoughtfully.

Thanks to the widespread participation, we will be able to analyse different groups of people with mobility challenges over the coming months, e.g., people living in rural areas, digitally non-connected, people with physical or cognitive mobility impairments, or people with low income. This data will allow us to conduct targeted analyses, ensuring that future CCAM systems are truly inclusive and accessible for all.

Outlook: The Future of CCAM in Public Transport

As we look toward the future, the results of the SINFONICA survey will provide valuable insights into what users expect from CCAM technologies. The strong emphasis on the users’ needs suggests that any successful CCAM deployment must prioritise these elements to gain widespread public acceptance.

Conclusion: Moving Towards an Inclusive Future

The SINFONICA project is laying the groundwork for a future where CCAM systems are not only technologically advanced but also inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the needs of all users. The survey results will provide a clear roadmap for stakeholders to follow, helping to ensure that future CCAM deployments address user concerns and foster widespread acceptance.

Creating a transport ecosystem that truly works for everyone will be essential as we move forward. With the insights gained from this survey, the path toward inclusive and sustainable mobility through CCAM is becoming clearer and more achievable.

Authors: Madlen Ringhand, Juliane Anke (TUD)

Cover picture generated with AI tools