Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives (Sep 2020)
Digitalisation and automation of transport: A lifeworld perspective of travellers
Abstract
Increasing participation as well as improved traffic and transport conditions, especially safer transport are the promises commonly connected with a digitalisation and automation of transport. What is needed is the well-connected traveller who by means of a smartphone and applications can choose on digital maps and pictograms where or to whom to go, who by means of these media can have access to public transport without any knowledge of complex tariff structures, who can book autonomous vehicles in order to arrive without any incident at the destination.Within the conceptual framework of the lifeworld, especially Blumenberg's notion of the ‘Technisierung’ of the lifeworld, the paper sets out to describe the ongoing process of different forms of digitalisation becoming relevant for all parts of the chains of trips of travellers and subsequently an unquestioned part of the lifeworld of travellers. This process is driven on the one hand by the many resulting opportunities for the travellers. On the other hand, several interest groups are pushing the digitalisation of transport information, booking, and pricing as well as the automation of vehicles: transport companies, car manufacturers, insurance companies, and public institutions. The consequences of the subsequently further increasing motorised transport, the shift of the responsibilities away from drivers, and the large amount of collected data result in the need of an increasing institutional framework of travellers.
