Definition
Transport poverty is a very complex concept due to the large number of factors influencing it, including low income, demographic characteristics, location, energy, fuel costs… While energy poverty is widely measured through official indicators, transport poverty has been largely overlooked.
The concept of transport poverty first emerged in 1973, when it was linked to social and economic inequality. Over time, particularly between the late 20th and early 21st centuries, researchers and policymakers began to acknowledge its importance in the contexts of urban planning, sustainable development, and social equity.
The Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) identified five key barriers contributing to transport poverty: availability and accessibility of public and private transport, transport costs, inaccessible locations of essential services, safety and security, and limited travel horizons.
More recent research has added social dimensions to the issue, highlighting the roles of income, age, gender, and health (Luz & Portugal, 2022; Mattioli et al., 2018). Combined with energy poverty, transport poverty intensifies financial struggles for individuals and households, often forcing them to compromise on other essential expenditures (Lowans et al., 2021).
In recent years, access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all has received increasing attention: in the EU, transport poverty is recognized as a challenge, a substantial share of the population lacks the means or ability to access transport solutions (Koukoufikis and Uihlein, 2022).