Digital Inclusion and Equity in Access to Public Services: A Case Study on the Online Initial Vehicle Registration System of Detran-TO

Abstract

This study critically analyzes the impacts of digitalization of vehicle first registration and transfer services at the Department of Traffic of the State of Tocantins (DETRAN-TO), implemented between June and December 2025, on equitable access to public services. Through a qualitative approach based on an intrinsic single case study with exploratory-descriptive design and triangulation of methods (documentary research, non-participant observation, and Bardin's thematic content analysis), a fundamental tension was identified between operational efficiency and social inclusion. While digital migration significantly reduced in-person queues, it created access barriers for vulnerable populations, amplified by the charging of digital service fees and the need to hire traffic dispatchers. The results reveal that accelerated implementation without digital inclusion policies, the withdrawal of complementary in-person service offerings, or training programs generated digital exclusion particularly severe for citizens with low digital literacy, elderly persons, and economically vulnerable populations. It is concluded that responsible state modernization requires a multidimensional approach: maintenance of in-person services, redesign of accessible digital interface, free training programs, and revision of fee collection policy, grounding recommendations that reconcile technological efficiency with guarantee of fundamental rights of access to public services.