Operationalizing Social Justice Theories in Transport Resource Allocation

Abstract

Equity in transport planning is increasingly recognized as vital to addressing disparities in resource allocation and accessibility. This study bridges theoretical social justice principles with operational decision-making by integrating four commonly discussed distributive justice theories—Utilitarianism, Rawls’ Egalitarianism, Prioritarianism, and Capabilitarian Sufficiency—into a bilevel bus frequency optimization model. The study introduces equity-oriented formulations to reflect the distinct distributive principles of the justice theories, and propose justice theory-driven equity metrics to evaluate the resultant distributive impacts. Using cumulative opportunity as an accessibility measure, the different equity frameworks are applied to Canberra’s southern suburbs. Results highlight how different justice principles yield distinct policy outcomes, emphasizing the need to align equity frameworks with specific objectives and societal goals. This research provides policymakers with a comparative framework to assess trade-offs not only between equity and efficiency but also across distributive principles, advancing justice-oriented decision-making in transport resource allocation.