Public transport and job-seeking range of the poor in older urban districts in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study investigates the influences of urban decline and public transport provision on the geographical extent of job seeking amongst the poor in older urban districts in Hong Kong. Urban decline is characterised by obsolete housing stock, an ageing population, population decline, the immigration of lower-income families and the economic decline of urban neighbourhoods. The interactions amongst these variables create commuting barriers for employed residents. Public transport dominates daily work trips, which gives rise to keen competition to live near railways and drives up the value of land near railway stations, and the spoke-and-hub nature of the public transport network in less accessible areas incurs high travel costs. These two characteristics of public transport provision prevent low-income workers from reaching distant employment. A survey was conducted on seven older urban districts, and the results of a regression model indicate that respondents with higher qualifications and who paid higher travel fares, took faster transport modes, spent longer on travel and transfers, and lived near transport hubs could travel longer distances to employment. Respondents with young children could travel longer distances to employment because they were younger and received support from their family network. In light of the findings, it is recommended that the government subsidise the travel of the working poor by using the income from land premiums; conduct social impacts appraisals on public transport to ensure equal mobility for all; and revitalise and create jobs in the older urban districts.