The European Commission establishes that essential services are those key services to cover the basic needs of life of the population. Transport is considered one of these basic needs, since it has a great impact on the daily life of citizens and on equal opportunities. We are talking, among many others, in terms of equality, job opportunities, access to health, education or other basic needs. [1]
What then is transport poverty? How does social and economic precariousness influence the transport of citizens and, especially, of groups in vulnerable situations? We speak of transport-related poverty when a person (or a household) has to spend more than they can afford to cover their basic transport needs. That is, when assuming the cost of transport poses a problem for the household economy .
In this sense, Eurostat determined in 2019 that the private car continues to dominate the mobility scenario and currently represents almost 83% of total transport. For its part, public transport (trains and buses) only represents 17.2% of the total mobility share. It is also estimated that almost 2.5% of the total population of the European Union suffers from transport poverty, and that almost 6% of people at risk of poverty recognize having had difficulties paying the expenses associated with mobility . Something that only confirms the existence of this social problem. [2]
Low income is, of course, the main cause of transport poverty. This translates into the inability to pay for sufficient means of transport to cover all the basic needs of a person in question. However, there are other aspects that cause situations of transport poverty. One of the main causes not associated with the purely economic issue is the lack of adequate transport on certain routes and poor public transport connections that link workplaces, hospitals, educational centers or supermarkets, among many others. An issue that is exacerbated when we look in detail at the existing connections in rural areas.
But there are also other key aspects to take into account when analyzing transport poverty, such as the fight against climate change, street connectivity or the safety of the neighborhood in which one lives. Aspects that must be taken into account when analyzing this problem globally. Without forgetting that gender inequalities also affect transport poverty, and that women are, statistically speaking, the most affected.
Here is a summary of the main causes that aggravate the problem of poverty in transport.
Low income
Transport poverty is directly related to energy poverty and situations of risk of social exclusion.
– Not being able to afford transportation options.
– Not being able to afford a private car in a car-centric society.
Poor connectivity
Transport poverty is also related to the inter-connectivity between households and basic needs.
– Mainly in rural areas.
– When there are no public transport options or there are limited frequencies
– Poorly connected roads.
Climate change policies
Policies related to climate change also affect transport poverty, by causing an increase in costs related to mobility.
– Rising prices of traditional fuels due to carbon taxes.
– Increase in public transport costs due to the need for new infrastructure.
Gender perspective and transport
Women are statistically more vulnerable to having problems paying for transport, as they generally have a double job: paid work (employment) and work associated with the home and care. This causes them to have more transport needs:
– Combining housework, care and paid work translates into more transportation needs.
– Rural and poorly connected areas affect women more, as they are forced to use more means of transport to reach all their obligations.
– Safety on public transport and the safety of neighbourhoods due to gender-based violence also have an impact on how women move around, because they may avoid conflict areas or choose different means of transport depending on how they perceive their safety.
What other aspects are important when analyzing poverty in transport? Could this issue increase in the coming years? At Ecoserveis we are doing everything possible to address this reality. Through the “Fair Mobility” project ( Fair Mobility & Fair Mobility II: Sustainable Mobility against Inequalities ) we aim to study and analyze the inequalities that exist in the transport sector, to promote more sustainable and fair alternatives.
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[1] European Commission (2019). https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langid=en&catid=1135&newsid=9764&furthernews=yes
[2] Eurostat (2019) https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/14665254/ks-09-22-019-en-n.pdf/2edccd6a-c90d-e2ed-ccda-7e3419c7c271?t =1654253664613
