Using transport policy to increase physical activity

Abstract

The objective of this presentation is to propose a transport policy strategy to increase physical activity that will be cost effective and acceptable to the public based on a project carried out for the UK Department for Transport to consider the available evidence on the role of transport in increasing levels of physical activity. It was found that individual behaviour interventions have had some impact on physical activity, but that on-going support was necessary in the long-term. Modifications to the built environment to increase walking and cycling are only effective when supported by other measures. It was found that the key relationship is between car use and physical activity. In order to increase levels of physical activity, it is necessary to reduce use of the car. For many people the car is the mode of choice: for many trips it is cheaper, quicker and more convenient to use the car sitting outside the house than to make the effort of walking, cycling or using public transport. The economics of car use mean that a large expenditure is made to purchase the car and then each trip is relatively cheap. Because so many households have adopted lifestyles that revolve around the use of the car, it is important to recognise that any policies to reduce car use must provide as much, or close to as much, accessibility as the car does. This can be done by shifting the method of accessing cars from individual household ownership to a more flexible system of hiring or sharing cars rather than owning them. This would involve the whole range of emerging schemes such as car clubs, neighbourhood car rental, and car sharing. With smartcard technology, the internet and GPS technology a whole range of flexible options have opened up in recent years. Two key aspects of using this approach are that the opportunities can be supplied commercially and that they can be presented as increasing choice rather than less appealing messages about health. There is evidence that people who use car clubs etc are more active physically than those who own cars. The role of government would be to facilitate the behaviour change through bringing relevant parties together and encouraging the provision of information to people at key stages in their lives when they consider their car needs such as after having baby. Supporting transport and land use policies would assist the process.