Equity evaluation of public transportation service by analysing the supply and demand data: The case of Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil

Everybody has an equal right to access opportunities, and public transportation is one way to get this access. Including equity in public transportation systems contributes to developing sustainable cities. Brazilian public transportation has been gradually losing demand, causing chaos in terms of mobility and financing of the system. This paper aims to evaluate public transportation equity by analyzing the demand and supply relationship. Using supply data from public transportation, smart card demand, and socioeconomic data, we proposed an approach to diagnose the customer level of service and estimate the potential excluded demand. We applied this approach in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil. The results show that 85% of the population has access to public transportation. However, only 33% is the low-income population, i.e., the two lowest-income quartiles. In addition, the service is poor or missing for 53% of the lowest-income quartile of the people in the morning peak, which has the best supply service of the day. Findings showed the approach's applicability during the public transportation planning process to provide a more equitable service. Moreover, the identification of potential excluded demand shows areas for improving the service offered to increase the demand for public transportation.