Abstract

Transportation plays a significant role in shaping quality of life in cities, affecting physical and mental health, socio-economic dynamics, and environmental sustainability. Traffic congestion and air pollution – common consequences of urban traffic – exacerbate these concerns, underscoring the importance of promoting public transport as an environmentally friendly alternative to private vehicle usage. Enhancing the quality of public transportation not only helps retain current users, but also attracts new passengers, ultimately reducing personal car use and its adverse effects in cities. While smart technologies offer opportunities to improve public transport by enhancing comfort, reliability, safety, accessibility, and affordability, the integration of these technologies is shaped by both technological and non-technological factors.This thesis investigates the role of smart technologies and non-technological factors shaping them in improving public transportation systems, focusing on Tehran and London as case studies. Tehran serves as the primary case study, while London provides a comparative framework to better understand the challenges and opportunities in Tehran’s public transport system. The research considers the demographic, geographic, infrastructure, and governance contexts of both cities to analyse similarities and differences related to their public transport systems. Through this comparative analysis, recommendations are developed to enhance Tehran’s capacity for implementing smart technologies in its public transport. The findings demonstrate that technology alone cannot be viewed as a neutral or universally applicable solution; its effectiveness relies on a range of other, often non-technological, factors. This study reveals that smart technologies cannot be directly transferred from one city to another without considering the contextual differences between them. Furthermore, the relationship between technological advancements and non-technological factors is reciprocal and complex. The research highlights that technological improvements in public transport systems must be accompanied by visionary strategy, effective governance, and active passenger engagement in decision-making processes. These non-technological factors are critical to the successful integration of smart technologies, ensuring they align with the specific needs and conditions of each city.In conclusion, this research underscores the importance of a holistic approach to public transport improvements, where both technological and non-technological factors are considered. This interconnectedness suggests that these factors must be studied and addressed together in order to enhance the reliability, safety, and comfort of public transport systems. The study offers key insights and recommendations for policymakers, particularly in Tehran, to enable them to develop more effective strategies for integrating smart technologies into their public transport networks.

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2025

Embargo Period

2025-06-30

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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