Need for an Improved Criteria to Evaluate Accessibility to Public Bus Transport Systems from a Sustainable Perspective

The need for a better measure for the context of understanding accessibility levels to public transit (bus) services in an urban environment was identified via the study. It evaluates the factors that need to be considered affecting the concept of "ease of access" in a sustainable platform. Evaluating the available sustainable transportation measures, models, and tools gives a comprehensive understanding of the avenues that have been considered and the quantitative and qualitative disparity among the existing indicators. The Sustainable Urban Transportation Accessibility Scorecard (SUTAS) was developed in response to the demand for more accurate and measurable indicators of accessibility to public transit services in urban settings. The incorporation of indicators focused on highlighting the accessibility quotient and striking a delicate balance between giving adequate space to the other dimensions of sustainable transportation. This inclusiveness strengthens the scope of the improved criteria with solid quantitative outcomes. The study further elaborates on how every indicator can be improved to increase the validity of its score by highlighting its parameters. Thus, the developed SUTAS can assess the accessibility quotient to public transit (buses) in an urban context, both in terms of individual city assessment through a timeline and in comparison, amongst cities.