Melania Petrea

Autonomous bus deployment requires coordination among vehicles, passengers, stopping infrastructure, digital systems, operators, and institutions. This integrative review combines metadata-level mapping of 93 publications retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science on 14 October 2026 with targeted full-text context extraction from 84 available publications. After deduplication and eligibility screening, 93 records were retained; 9 lacked accessible full texts and contributed only to the metadata-level map. The targeted full-text stage characterized study locations, research designs, vehicle applications, operational settings, stop/service interface relevance and environmental conditions, without systematic methodological quality or risk-of-bias appraisal. Six prespecified domains structure provisional topic mapping and inform the conceptual Autonomous-Ready Mobility Node (ARMN) and Autonomous Bus Stop Readiness Research Architecture (ABSRA). These concepts are exploratory and require independent coding and field validation.

Accessibility in bus-based public transport is essential for inclusive and sustainable urban mobility, yet bus stops and stations are often overlooked compared with vehicle modernization and network planning. This study presents a bibliometric and thematic review of research (2020–2026) on accessibility in bus stop and station infrastructure across European cities. Literature indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection was analyzed using thematic synthesis supported by bibliometric network analysis. A total of 685 publications were examined to identify research trends, barriers, regional differences, assessment methods, and planning implications. The findings show that accessibility is a multidimensional concept shaped by physical design, information systems, user experience, first- and last-mile connectivity, and governance capacity. Persistent barriers include poor boarding interfaces, inadequate maintenance, weak wayfinding, safety concerns, and uneven implementation of accessibility standards. The reviewed studies suggest that evidence of stronger integration and higher user satisfaction is more frequently reported in Northern and some Western European contexts, whereas rural and smaller cities often face lower service accessibility. Emerging topics include real-time passenger information, crowding management, electric buses, and smart mobility technologies. The review concludes that bus stops and stations should be treated as strategic mobility assets. Integrated planning, participatory design, and territorially differentiated policy support are essential to advance inclusive bus-based public transport across Europe.