Assessing Territorial Disparities in Local Public Transport Quality in Italy: an Approach Based on a Composite Indicator

This study examines various aspects of local public transport (LPT) in Italian regions, focusing on the interplay between public transport usage, user satisfaction, and accessibility to essential services. It highlights the crucial role of efficient mobility systems in reducing socio-economic disparities and promoting sustainable development. Using data from the IstatData platform, a composite indicator was developed through the Pena Distance method (DP2), which inte grates heterogeneous variables with different measurement scales and internal correlations. The methodology applied would ultimately lead to improved reliability of assessment on public transport quality and access to essential services by transcending the barriers of traditional approaches. The variables were standardized and weighted with respect to their contribution to information, with special emphasis on environmental sustainability. The results show sizable discrepancies among Italian regions in LPT accessibility and user satisfaction. Regions with soundly developed public transport manifest intense levels of satisfaction and greater accessibility ; on the other hand, there are regions still plagued by chal lenges over service quality and availability. This study highlights that enhancing accessibility as a means of promoting public transport use should be coupled with steps to enhance overall user satisfaction, while targeted investments in transport infrastructure and services thus remain indispensable in the reduction of territorial inequalities and, thus, the promotion of inclusive urban development. The developed composite indicator is then effective in service as a monitoring instrument serving policymakers in designing data-driven strategies in the pursuit of environmental quality and effectively addressing climate change.