The Universal in the Local: Justice and Urban Public Transport

Abstract

The article concerns the problem of justice in the context of urban mobility, especially in the context of public transportation and route taxis. The author analyzes the specifics of the problem of justice within the philosophic and social theoretical discourses. The transition from the universal scale to the local is possible, in particular, through the mediation of the Michael Walzer's theory and the theories of "just city". Urban public transport, including route taxi, can be understood as a space for the emergence of situations of injustice due to inequality in access to major transport welfare – mobility. Both external and internal aspects are important. The external aspect relates to the general issues of urban public transport, its quantitative composition, the quality of its operation, etc. The internal aspect concerns the conflicts arising during trips on public transport and attempts to construct argumentation systems with the use of "discourse of justice" by conflict participants.