The MATISSE Project

Transport & Social Inclusion - The Problems and Issues

Poor accessibility, poor services and the high cost of transport often limit the mobility of many people. The groups identified as being most at risk are:

those who are disabled or simply frail:
those on a low income;
ethnic and religious minorities;
certain groups of women; and
teenagers and young adults.

Limited mobility can lead, in turn, to reduced life chances for employment, training, education, social enjoyment, healthcare, participation in the community and participation in cultural activities.

There is often little direct engagement with socially excluded groups when consulting on transport plans. In addition, there are often inadequate local transport professional skills to address the social exclusion issues and evaluate outcomes.

Transport and social policy agencies need to work together in close co-operation. This co-operation will ensure more accessible jobs, services and facilities for the more marginalised members of society.

Transport planning agencies will need to consider:

To what extent do local transport policies increase social exclusion?
How can local transport policies help to achieve greater social inclusion?
How will the effectiveness of local transport policies be monitored and evaluated against social inclusion targets?