Call for Papers First Global Convening on Informal and Shared Mobility Research Conference | October 26–28, 2026 Bangkok, Thailand

We invite submissions for the Research Conference component of the first-ever Global Convening on Informal and Shared Mobility, to be held on October 26–28, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference and event are organized by the Partnership for Research on Informal and Shared Mobility (PRISM), the Chulalongkorn University Transportation Institute (CUTI) and the Global Network for Popular Transportation (GNPT), with support from the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF).

Motorized and non-motorized two- and three-wheelers, sedans, minivans and buses – known in their home countries as angkots, jeepneys, matatus, okadas, boda bodas, tuktuks, autorickshaws, etc – provide informal and shared mobility (ISM) services that are the main mode of travel for hundreds of millions of people across the Global South. These services are fundamental to the functioning of neighborhoods, communities, and regions and are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and decarbonizing transportation.

The Global Convening on Informal and Shared Mobility (ISM) will bring together ISM workers and businesses, researchers, and representatives from government and civil society to explore ways to advance ISM inclusion, improvements, and integration into key interrelated policy realms such as transportation, public health, climate and the economy. The convening will provide a critical global platform for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to share new knowledge, generate comparative insights, and shape future research and policy agendas on ISM systems, with a particular focus on the Global South and South-South exchange.

As part of the convening we will also be holding a Research Conference for presenting and discussing new research results. Following the conference, selected papers will be invited to be included in an international special issue joint publication.

We welcome abstracts presenting cutting-edge empirical research, conceptual innovation, or engaged policy analysis for the conference and/or the special issue.

Research Conference Themes
We welcome submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following inter-related themes:
● Opportunities and challenges of growing digitization and platformization
● Livelihoods and labor conditions, capacity development, and training
● Operations, business models, and financial sustainability
● Governance, regulation, political economy, and (self-)organization
● Gender, inclusion, and equitable access
● Low-carbon transitions and environmental impacts in informal mobility
● ISM and climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience
● ISM as a lever for public health improvements (air pollution, traffic, sexual and other forms of violence)
● Comparative policy and institutional innovations
● Cross-regional frameworks for ISM integration
● User practices and satisfaction, service quality, and performance assessment
● Interrelations and interdependencies among different forms of informality; integration of ISM with other transport modes (public transport, walking)
● Methodologies and tools for data creation and for studying informal and shared mobility
● Financing mechanisms, investment models, and economic viability of ISM systems

We welcome diverse kinds of papers with varied approaches, methodologies and frameworks. These can include thought pieces, case studies and empirically based work. Submissions offering interdisciplinary approaches, South-South learning, cross-regional comparisons, or collaborative research with community organizations and ISM workers and operators are particularly encouraged.

Conference Abstract Submission Guidelines
● The abstract should consist of 600-800 words and be written in English.
● Participants can only submit one abstract as lead author.
● All abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the Conference Scientific Committee.
● Abstract Submissions should be made here.
○ Please indicate in your submission whether you wish to be considered for inclusion in the special issue.

Important Dates
● Abstract submission opens: November 15, 2025
● Abstract submission extended deadline: January 16, 2026
● Notification of acceptance: February 15, 2026
● Full paper submission (for publication and travel support consideration): May 15, 2026.

Joint Special Issue across three international transport journals
Authors of selected conference papers will be invited to submit revised manuscripts for inclusion in a special issue on Informal and Shared Mobility: Charting Opportunities and Challenges in Digitization, Equity, Governance, and Sustainable Transitions in the Global South, to be published in Asian Transport Studies (ATS), African Transport Studies (AFTRAN) and Latin American Transport Studies (LATS). This special issue particularly encourages South-South collaboration, mutual learning, and comparative research. Please note that authors can also submit their papers to the journals for inclusion in this issue without attending the conference.
This coordinated special issue forms a tri-continental publication initiative under Elsevier’s Regional Transport Studies series. All manuscripts will undergo the journals’ independent peer-review process.

Travel Support
Limited funding is available to support travel and accommodation, particularly for early-career researchers from low- and middle-income countries and affiliates of the VREF Next-Gen programs or PRISM partner institutions.
For inquiries, please contact the organizing team at glocon2026papers@gmail.com
This conference is also supported by:

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