The impact of opening hours on the equity of individual space–time accessibility

While many studies have concentrated on the effects of the spatial distribution of services on individual accessibility, only little is known about the ways in which equity of individual accessibility is affected by the temporal organisation of service delivery. This paper seeks to deepen our understanding about the relationship between accessibility, equity and the opening hours of public service facilities on the basis of space–time accessibility measures. Three approaches based on different equity principles are presented to schedule the opening hours of public service facilities: a utilitarian, an egalitarian and a distributive approach. A case study of public libraries in Ghent (Belgium) demonstrates the relevance of these approaches for amending the opening hours of public services to control the equity of accessibility levels across individuals.

► The opening hours of services affect the equity individual accessibility.
► Utilitarian, egalitarian and distributive approach to schedule service opening hours.
► Case study on rescheduling opening hours of the public libraries in Ghent (Belgium).
► The distribution of accessibility is strongly influenced by the scheduling procedure.
► Equitable/progressive rescheduling comes at the expense of the accessibility level.