Build infrastructure for people - not cars
The cost-of-living crisis is now having a profound impact on day-to-day life. As households look to cut costs, uncomfortable and often unaffordable choices are being faced by more than one million people in Scotland are at risk of transport poverty.
Transport poverty occurs when people don’t have access to essential services or work because of a lack of affordable transport options.
As the Scottish Government strives towards world-leading net zero and car use reduction targets, how can giving people more choice in how they get around be reconciled with urgently reducing a decades-old dependence on private cars?
In 2016 our research and monitoring unit began looking at transport poverty in Scotland and found that a staggering 20% of Scotland’s neighbourhoods are at risk of experiencing transport poverty.
Key variables that define potential exposure to transport poverty include availability of different ways to travel, affordability, the time needed to reach an intended destination, and perceptions of available infrastructure’s adequacy and safety.
For people living in these high-risk areas, this means their choices to access everyday and essential destinations are severely limited. It also means that the cost of getting to these places takes up a greater proportion of household budgets.
Levels of transport poverty are particularly acute across Scotland’s rural communities. Of the 16 data zones allocated a “maximum risk” score in our modelling, all are located within rural areas - predominantly in council areas covering the Scottish islands.
Over 90% of the zones considered within Na h-Eileanan Siar Council area are categorised as high risk, while other island communities such as Orkney also had a notable proportion of zones at high risk of transport poverty.
The lack of public transport in rural areas often means that people are reliant on owning a car despite this putting pressure on their budget. This particularly impacts low-income households, as research shows that areas with higher levels of deprivation tend to have worse public transport links.
But the long-term impact of car-first planning is more than simply a rural issue.
Across all of Scotland 29% of households don’t have access to a car. In Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee this figure rises to in excess of 40% of households. The traditionally car-dominated planning, prioritisation and delivery of transport simply has not prepared us for low carbon or sustainable living.
So, what can we do to tackle car dependency and give people more viable and sustainable choices in how they get around?
Enabling more people to safely and confidently walk, wheel or cycle for shorter, essential journeys locally is a viable, sustainable, emission-reducing, health improving and cost-effective solution.
Travel times are still reasonable, and some day-to-day journeys like commuting are already being made by bike by many. We found that amongst the highest-risk data zones identified within our research, 61% were areas where essential services can be accessed by cycle within 10 minutes.
When combined with a new approach to planning sustainable communities this makes walking, walking and cycling an even more viable solution for local journeys in rural areas.
However, we also need to look beyond local and address the lack of choice for longer journeys. We can’t afford to wait on the electrification of private vehicles to meet net zero – the overall distances travelled by car must also be reduced. Integrating safer walking, wheeling and cycling routes with improved public transport connections creates co-benefits that support these medium and longer-distance trips.
Almost all public transport journeys start and end with a walk, wheel or cycle to a stop or station. Increasing viable choice by investing in active travel and public transport as integrated modes holds the key to reducing transport inequality for households who don’t have access to a car, or for those struggling to afford one. Better public transport links will encourage more active travel, and vice versa.
Delivering reliable, joined-up, safe and accessible infrastructure is an important piece of the puzzle. But the pace and scale of change needed across transport will only happen if people across Scotland are supported and encouraged in taking the first steps towards making these healthier and sustainable choices.
Scotland’s people, and not its cars, need to be at the heart of this change. Targeted support which engages our most vulnerable and marginalised communities, builds confidence, raises awareness, and inspires more people to change how they get around has an equally important part to play. Without this, Scotland simply won’t be able to tackle Transport Poverty and car reliance quickly enough.
Dr Andy Cope is the Director of Evidence and Insight at Sustrans, the charity making it easier for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle.
