Transport Poverty Research Articles

Are low-income residents disproportionately moving away from transit?

Low-income residents are often reliant on public transit for daily travel. In North American cities, they have also historically concentrated in centrally located neighbourhoods with relatively higher levels of transit accessibility. However, during the late 20th and early 21st century, regions have witnessed trends of inner-city neighbourhood change and gentrification and the suburbanization of poverty, raising concerns that low-income residents are disproportionately moving away from relied upon transit service. In this paper, we investigate what occurs when low-income residents change dwellings within a region: do they experience a reduction in their levels of transit accessibility, how does this compare to higher-income movers, and how has this changed over time? We examine this by linking historical transit accessibility measures to annual individual-level panel data representing 20% of tax filers in Toronto, Canada from 1988 to 2018. We then analyze changes in transit accessibility for over 2 million intra-urban movers during this time period via descriptive statistics and regression models to answer whether there are significant differences in individual changes in transit accessibility by income level. We find that low-income residents do, on average, experience reductions in their levels of transit accessibility when moving within the region, suggesting a growth in people at risk of transport poverty. Nevertheless, they do not undergo as great of a reduction in transit accessibility as higher-income movers, although this gap in experienced changes in transit accessibility between higher- and low-income movers is converging over time.

The demographics of energy and mobility poverty: Assessing equity and justice in Ireland, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates

Energy and mobility poverty limits people’s choices and opportunities and negatively impinges upon structural economic and social welfare patterns. It also hampers the ability of planners to implement more equitable and just decarbonization pathways. Research has revealed that climate policies have imposed a financial burden on low-income and other vulnerable groups by increasing food and energy prices, leading as well to global inequality. Similarly, researchers have warned that in developing countries, emission mitigation policies could increase poverty rates and even frustrate progress towards universal access to clean energy. This research explores whether low-income social groups experience a 'double energy vulnerability', a situation that simultaneously positions people at heightened risk of transport and energy poverty. We investigate this 'double vulnerability' through original data collection via three nationally representative surveys of Mexico (N = 1,205), the United Arab Emirates (N = 1,141), Ireland and Northern Ireland (N = 1,860). We draw from this original data to elaborate on the sociodemographic attributes, expenditure and behaviour emerging from energy and transport use, focusing on themes such as equity, behaviour and vulnerability. We propose energy and transport poverty indexes that allow us to summarize the key contributing factors to energy and transport poverty in the countries studied and uncover a strong correlation between these two salient forms of poverty. Our results suggest that energy and transport poverty are common issues regardless of the very different national, and even sub-national, contexts. We conclude that energy and transport poverty requires target policy interventions suitable for all segments of society, thus enabling contextually-tailored, just energy transitions.

‘No place for a woman’: Access, exclusion, insecurity and the mobility regime in grand tunis

Drawing on an innovative peer researcher method, this paper uses mobility diaries and in-transit interviews to examine the everyday travel experiences of women from socio-economically marginalised neighbourhoods in metropolitan Grand Tunis. It situates those experiences, and the practices they deploy to navigate them, within a meso-level discussion of women’s social condition in Tunisia and a macro-level political economy of the Tunis transport system. Together these shed light on the multi-layered intersecting disadvantages which shape women’s place in the prevailing mobility regime, pushing already marginalised women into transport poverty and social exclusion. The paper highlights the subsequent constraints on women’s access to the resources which might allow them to improve their lives, and the significance of travel-related violence and insecurity on their everyday lives.

To share or not to share, by whom is the question. Acceptability and acceptance of shared transport services by vulnerable groups

ABSTRACT It is believed that shared transport services (STSs) can reduce transport poverty and social exclusion. This paper proposes a definition of “social acceptability” and “social acceptance” and examines whether vulnerable groups accept STSs. The notions “acceptability” and “acceptance” were distinguished and four necessary conditions, especially for vulnerable groups, or the 4As were identified: “availability”, “accessibility”, “affordability”, and “attractability”. In the context of STSs, “social acceptability” is defined as the degree to which an individual intends to use a STS before experiencing it in everyday travel based on the expected availability, accessibility, affordability, and attractability of the service, while “social acceptance” also incorporates the use of a STS after experiencing it in everyday travel based on a minimum level of perceived availability, accessibility, affordability, and attractability. This paper further reviews the scientific literature in transport research regarding the “acceptability” or “acceptance” of STSs by vulnerable groups. While several studies include socio-economic and demographic variables (e.g. age, gender) to explain the “acceptability” of STSs, only a few studies specifically focus on vulnerable groups. More research on the “social acceptance” of STSs, especially shared scooters, ride-sharing, and apps and Mobility as a Service (MaaS), by vulnerable groups is needed.

Public support for decarbonisation policies: Between self-interest and social need for alleviating energy and transport poverty in the United Kingdom

Policies for transitions to decarbonised energy and transport systems have implications for social welfare. Here we firstly investigate, via focus groups, public support for policies that have implications for energy and transport poverty in a country with a sizeable incidence of both, the United Kingdom (UK). We then examine which of the publics’ policy preferences concur with those of a wider group of expert stakeholders (n = 47), observing concurrence in the top choices of both for: (i) better public transport; mandating improved energy efficiency in (ii) rental housing and (iii) new homes; and (iv) expanding an income supplement scheme (such as the Warm Home Discount). While the public are relatively supportive of policy for electric vehicles, expert stakeholders see the shift to convergent electrification and digitalisation in domestic contexts as carrying risks for lower income households and those less digitally literate. We highlight that many of the public questioned view themselves as likely to be worthy of assistance, given the level of price inflation in the UK. We conclude that decarbonisation policies require careful attention not only to infrastructure, but to social welfare policy if they are to carry public support.

Policy prescriptions to address energy and transport poverty in the United Kingdom

Tens of millions of households across Europe struggle to afford adequate electricity and heating services and reliable transportation, while recent high fuel prices could lead to an increase in excess winter deaths. Tackling energy and transport poverty is thus of paramount policy importance. Here we document the drivers and lived experiences of energy and transport poverty in the United Kingdom, based on public focus groups and expert interviews. We find a set of policies that resonate with both expert planners and members of the public, implying they have a level of political and social acceptability that other measures may be lacking, notably: mandatory landlord energy efficiency upgrades, increasing the extent of financial assistance to households, cheaper (or even free) bus and train fares and restarting and expanding bus services. We buttress these findings with further suggestions for energy and transport system redesign that better meets emerging principles of energy and social justice.

The potential issues of simulation methods application in the analysis of transport poverty

The statistical methods, neural network-based methods, and simulation methods are applied in accessibility measures, planning of transportation, and periodically in analyses related to transport poverty. This paper focused on the last type of the method – the paper's aim is to identify the potential of simulation methods applied to the problem of transport poverty, whereas the one can be recalled under other terms, e.g., “transport disadvantage”, “transport-related social exclusion”, “accessibility poverty”, “transport affordability”, “transport mobility”, “transport accessibility”, “transport inequality”, etc. All the synonyms were investigated within the panoramic review method to indicate the future agendas and direction of the authors within their own research on transport poverty and accompanying phenomena.

Revisiting transport poverty in Europe through a systematic review

Transport systems are a very powerful tool to overcome deprivation, reduce inequalities, assure access to essential services and increase well-being. Low-income and other population groups are particularly vulnerable to adverse transport conditions, hindering them from taking part in multiple socioeconomic activities, reducing their chances for development, and pushing them towards poverty and social exclusion. In the light of the current societal changes triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and challenges regarding new services, digitalisation, climate change and transition towards climate neutrality, this study aims to reframe and analyse the manifold components of transport poverty in Europe through a systematic literature review. We highlight many issues to transform the built environment making it sustainable, fair, just, intergenerational and intragenerational friendly and inclusive.

Transport poverty and obesity: The mediating roles of social capital and physical activity

We draw on 16 waves of longitudinal data to examine the relationship between transport poverty and obesity in Australia. We focus on transport poverty relating to public and private transport use, and measure obesity based on body mass index. We find that transport poverty is associated with a decline in obesity. We examine social capital and physical activity as potential mechanisms through which transport poverty transmits to obesity. Our results suggest that transport poverty is associated with higher social capital and an increase in the frequency of engagement in physical activity – both of which have obesity reducing effects. Our findings highlight the need for policies that promote social capital and physical activity as a viable way to address growing concerns around obesity.

What causes energy and transport poverty in Ireland? Analysing demographic, economic, and social dynamics, and policy implications

Energy and transport poverty have been postulated as conditions linked by overlapping causal factors such as structural economic inequality or housing stock and affecting overlapping demographics such as family size or income. The strength of the overlap of these conditions and their causal mechanisms has not been assessed across Ireland prior to this study. We apply and analyse existing and novel energy and transport poverty metrics in a survey of 1564 participants across Ireland and consider results from expenditure and consensual data examining causal mechanisms and correlations. We find that energy and transport poverty rates are broadly similar across Ireland at approximately 14% for energy poverty and 18% for transport poverty using the half-median metric, while participant knowledge of causal factors, such as lack of domestic energy efficiency and perceived desirability of potential poverty solutions, such as increased public transport provision, are low. Furthermore, we find that self-reported data concerning energy and transport expenditures and preferences do not correspond to expected outcomes. We thus conclude that ever refined targeting of individuals and households for support measures is not optimal for either decarbonisation or alleviation of energy and transport poverty conditions and suggest some salient policy implications.

Transport Poverty: A Comparative Study between South Africa and Nigeria

Background: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and neighbourhood liveability is dependent on an improved transportation sector. Urban transport is conceptualized as either mobility or accessibility; thus, it remains an integral part in enhancing urban livelihood and serves as a hub connecting all sectors of a city's economy. Lack of access to opportunities and/or services, inadequate transport services, and physical or financial inaccessibility to transport options are prevailing in African cities and have been used to conceptualize transport poverty. Objectives: This study seeks the relationship between some dimensions of transport poverty and life satisfaction. The argument put forward in this study is that transport poverty predicts life satisfaction that is a vital aspect of subjective wellbeing. Methods: The study utilise an exploratory, comparative design that will enable the comparison of dimensions of Transport Poverty in Ibadan, Nigeria, and Durban, South Africa. For this study, communities in both Ibadan and Durban were randomly selected; while data were collected through an online survey method. The hypothesis that spatial exclusion mediates the relationship between service availability and satisfaction with life, transport disadvantaged and satisfaction with life, and transport reliability and satisfaction with life were tested through mediation analysis. Results: For the first hypothesis, partial mediation existed; for the second hypothesis, no mediation existed; for the third hypothesis, total mediation existed. Lastly, spatial exclusion varied between the two countries. Conclusion: The study concludes that a transport network that is not reliable leads to spatial exclusion, which in turns affects satisfaction with life. Likewise, all dimensions of transport poverty are similar except for spatial exclusion which differs between the countries, with South Africans experiencing more cases of spatial exclusion as compared to Nigerians.

Exploring Transport Consumption-Based Emissions: Spatial Patterns, Social Factors, Well-Being, and Policy Implications

Recent years have seen an increased interest in demand-side mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the oftentimes spatial nature of emissions research, links to social factors and infrastructure are often not analysed geographically. To reach substantial and lasting emission reductions without further disadvantaging vulnerable populations, the design of effective mitigation policies on the local level requires considerations of spatial and social inequalities as well as the context of well-being. Consequently, we explore spatial variations in the links between consumption-based transport emissions with infrastructural factors, such as workplace distance and public transport density, and with risk-factors of transport poverty, including income, age, ethnicity, mobility constraints in London. We find that linear models report significant spatial autocorrelation at p ≤ 0.01 in their model residuals, indicating spatial dependency. Using geographically weighted regression models improves model fits by an adjusted R2 value of 9–70% compared to linear models. Here, modelling flight emissions generally sees the lowest improvements, while those models modelling emissions from cars and vans see the highest improvements in model fit. We conclude that using geographically weighted regression to assess the links between social factors and emissions offers insights which global, linear models overlook. Moreover, this type of analysis enables an assessment of where, spatially, different types of policy interventions may be most effective in reducing not only emissions, but transport poverty risks. Patterns of spatial heterogeneity and policy implications of this research are discussed.

Of cooks, crooks and slum-dwellers: Exploring the lived experience of energy and mobility poverty in Mexico's informal settlements

So-called “slum-dwellers” living in informal settlements in Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) often confront poor health outcomes, face chronic accommodation insecurity and are frequent victims of social intolerance, discrimination and racism. In addition, they usually reside in living environments with precariously hazardous conditions that often lead to their well-being endangerment. Based on extensive original research with slum-dwellers from the MCMA including focus groups (N = 18 participants), household interviews (N = 51 participants), and site visits (N = 5), this study investigates their energy and housing needs, transport and mobility patterns and challenges to their overall quality of life and health. The MCMA is one of the largest metropolitan regions globally, and most of its inhabitants experience a “double energy vulnerability,” circumstances whereby people are at an intensified risk of energy and transport poverty simultaneously. Our investigation circles around three key themes. In exploring the subject of extreme poverty and vulnerability, we show not only the problems they confront but also illegal practices such as electricity thefts and coping strategies. In investigating the subject of perpetual peripheralization, we show troubling patterns of discrimination, racism and social intolerance. In exploring the subject of spatial justice, we suggest a set of policies that ought to help achieve it.

Income and commute satisfaction: On the mediating roles of transport poverty and health conditions

Due to financial constraints, it can be expected that low-income groups may encounter transport poverty (e.g., limited travel mode options, low accessibility to workplaces) and have poor health conditions, therefore making them feel unsatisfied with commuting. However, few previous studies have examined this assumption. Using data derived from a face-to-face survey performed in 2019 in Chengdu (China), we aim to explore the association between income and commute satisfaction and particularly examine the mediating roles of transport poverty and health conditions in this association. Structural equation modeling is used to estimate both direct and indirect effects of income on commute satisfaction, leading to three major findings. First, due to limited access to cars, people with low incomes are more likely to choose public transit for commuting and indicate a high level of traffic congestion. Consequently, they tend to have long commute durations and are less likely to be satisfied with commuting. Second, low-income groups are more likely to have poor health conditions, which is another cause of their low commute satisfaction. Third, high-income groups are more likely to use private cars for commuting, which also leads to a high level of congestion, long commute durations, and low commute satisfaction.

Up around the bend? How transport poverty can lead to social exclusion in a low-income community in Lagos, Nigeria

Well planned and executed urban mobility policies are essential for economic, social, and environmental development. Cities in developing countries, in particular, face serious problems involving infrastructure, traffic congestion, and services accessibility. These factors, made worse by poor planning, lead to social inequality. This paper conducts a multidimensional analysis of how travel times and the related opportunity costs lead to transport-related social exclusion (TRSE) situations in Ajegunle, in Lagos, Nigeria. Our contribution to the literature is to extend and quantify the TRSE framework in the case of a low-income community in a developing country. The methodology applies an interdisciplinary research design that uses open-access remote-sensing and route planning web applications (Google Maps, Google Earth, and Lara.ng) and a critical literature review, embedded in a TRSE framework. Thereby we obtain the difference between the estimated and the ideal travel times that residents of this community take to reach locations offering five different services – education, work, shopping, leisure, and health – distributed in seven locations across the city. Based on the difference between the estimated and ideal travel times, which on average is between half an hour and two hours, we calculate the opportunity cost based on local living wages as benchmark, which results in an average between 7.6% and 27.4% of the daily wages. This concept captures a temporal and spatial valuation, expressed in monetary terms, of the impact of an inadequate public transport system on poorer residents' everyday lives. This analysis using the TRSE framework shows that poor public transport, and consequently high opportunity costs, translates into social exclusion in this low-income community. Finally, we recommend a set of practical transport, urban-planning, and social policies that can remedy this predicament.

Energy and transport poverty amidst plenty: Exploring just transition, lived experiences and policy implications in Iceland

The concept of ‘just transitions’ holds that sociotechnical change should not be achieved at the expense of vulnerable social groups. Here we take the case of a country with a high level of primary energy share that is renewable – Iceland – as well as high living standards, showing how energy and transport poverty are both possible and precariously experienced. Although Iceland performs well in OECD terms with respect to the Gini index of income inequality, poverty is nonetheless systemically present. While the percentage of the population in poverty is small, for those individuals, the experience shapes their lives. Focusing on energy and transport poverty, we draw together analysis of Statistics Iceland data; focus groups with representative members of the Icelandic public; and interviews with people self-identifying as either having a disability or experiencing poverty. We take disability as an exemplar case of a vulnerable group. While none of our interviewees had experienced loss of access to heat in the home, some had experienced deliberate disconnection by power companies. All interviewees experienced transport-related difficulties in terms of cost or access, and the focus group participants provide details on the mixed experience of the more typical Icelander via a vis transport. The Icelandic case illustrates how welfare state benefit design and the general cost of living impact individuals' lived experience of transport and energy use in the home, despite energy supply being low carbon. We discuss corresponding policy and research implications.

Transport poverty meets car dependency: A GPS tracking study of socially disadvantaged groups in European rural peripheries

This article explores the spatial mobility of disadvantaged populations in order to enhance our understanding of transport poverty. It is based on participatory GPS tracking data collected in peripheral rural regions in Czechia and Germany. The data provide information on the two-week mobility of 61 socially disadvantaged study participants belonging to the following groups: (a) the lone elderly, (b) the labor market disadvantaged, and (c) single parents. The quantitative analysis utilizes group comparisons of activity space metrics. The results show that the mobility of disadvantaged people varied little between countries and regions, which indicates that individual social disadvantage mattered more than regional spatial disadvantage. Daily mobility depended on individual mobility strategies, and on people's embeddedness in social networks. The mobility patterns of socially disadvantaged groups differed, and showed considerable within-group variability. Our analysis finds that the effects of car access depended on the respondents' levels of social disadvantage; and that a car was not a merely a transport variable, but a socially conditioned variable. Understanding how automobility in rural peripheries is mediated by social ties, and how it can both enable and constrain chances for social participation, is essential for developing measures aimed at reducing transport poverty.

How can Gender Smart Mobility become a More Intersectional form of Mobility Justice

This paper discusses ethical issues relating to equity in smart mobility (SM) with a focus on the intersections of gender, race and class. The H2020 TInnGO (Transport and Innovation Gender Observatory) project, in which this work was undertaken, was built around the concept that Gender Smart Mobility (GSM) requires not just the development of smart mobility but the application of gender and diversity mainstreaming.
 The paper is set against a background of slow but steady progress towards gender equality in transport, where women in the EU now account for between 22-27% of the transport workforce, and their multimodal journeys are underserved by current transport provision. Gender and diversity mainstreaming recognises the importance of applying intersectionality in creating fair and equitable transport services which can reduce the vulnerability of certain groups to social-exclusion related transport poverty. Although championed by the EU as an objective of transport policy, Gender Mainstreaming (GM) has had limited uptake at national level and has been criticised for its oversimplification of gender, and prioritisation of gender over other factors.
 Incorporating intersectionality into transport policy can build on advances already made by GM However little work has been conducted in this area. Therefore, we have discussed how an intersectionality-based policy analysis framework used in health can be applied to this area.
 The paper argues for wider use of intersectionality (i.e., gender and diversity mainstreaming) in the SM sector and how it can be operationalised to create more equitable transport and societies. The discussion is timely given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19.

“We're not dead yet!“: Extreme energy and transport poverty, perpetual peripheralization, and spatial justice among Gypsies and Travellers in Northern Ireland

Even though a place to call home may be a fundamental human right, Gypsies and Travellers often confront some of the poorest health outcomes of any group in society, face almost constant accommodation insecurity, and reside in living environments with very poor conditions or high levels of social intolerance. Based on extensive original research with Gypsies and Travellers in Northern Ireland, this study explores their housing and energy needs, transport and mobility patterns, and challenges to their overall health and quality of life. Our investigation revolves around three core thematic areas. In exploring the theme of extreme and recurring poverty and vulnerability, we reveal not only problems but coping strategies and patterns of community resilience. In exploring the theme of perpetual peripheralization, we reveal troubling patterns of intolerance, discrimination, and cultural antagonism. In exploring our theme of spatial justice, we discuss mechanisms to improve the quality of life and energy and mobility outcomes for this marginalised group.

Modal accessibility disparities and transport poverty in the Oslo region

Sufficient accessibility to opportunities, with different transport modes, is an important factor in order to avoid transport-related social exclusion and transport poverty. This paper investigates the social and geographical disparities in accessibility and time competitiveness of public transport in the Oslo region. Both place-based access to employment opportunities and the working population’s individual-specific commutes are measured. The study combines registry data with detailed accessibility metrics and uses descriptive maps and spatial regression models to study transport poverty. The results show that less affluent neighbourhoods suffer from low accessibility and poor time competitiveness of public transport, which is partly related to the suburbanization of poverty. This suggests that the transition to low emission mobility, with restrictions on car use, may be especially burdensome in less affluent neighbourhoods. The findings can help policy makers in securing an equitable transition from car to more sustainable transport modes.