illustration for the drivers of inequality

Driver Category 5.5

Unequal access to adequate public transport infrastructure and a healthy environment

This category captures factors that drive inequalities in transport infrastructure and neighbourhood quality: accessibility to adequate, affordable public transport, access to green spaces (and places for children to play), a healthy, clean environment (including air pollution, clean streets, rubbish collection etc).

It should also capture urban-rural differences, such as the investments in rural roads and transport infrastructure compared to urban areas.

The regulation of corporate behaviour in relation to pollution, public transport, and harming the environment – and political capture where relevant.

Guiding Questions

General questions

  • Does the government have a national transport policy and strategy?
  • Where are the major transport infrastructure deficits in urban (or rural) areas?
  • Is there evidence of differential access to reliable public transport options?
  • What is the government doing to expand public transport supply, particularly to peripheral areas and informal settlements, and to remote, rural populations, and to improve the quality of transport services?
  • Is public transport infrastructure keeping pace with population growth in urban areas?
  • Is private car ownership growing rapidly and is there more congestion on the roads and pollution as a result?
  • How is transport planning integrated with national and local economic development plans and the needs of groups such as smallholder farmers to access markets and children getting to school?
  • What information is available regarding access to public transport for the rural population?
  • Is the level of service for the rural population, and on inter-city services, constrained by poor road infrastructure?
  • What efforts are being made to upgrade existing unpaved roads and invest in expanding the network of rural roads?
  • Is access for the rural population constrained by road quality and inaccessibility (e.g. during rainy seasons)?

Equitable access and affordability

  • What information is available on experiences of public transport for different groups in different locations in urban areas?
  • Is it possible to analyse the situation for ethnic minority groups who may be living in particular areas of cities where transport links are poor?
  • WWhat information is available on accessibility by age, gender and other characteristics such as disability?
  • Is there legislation to guarantee accessibility to public transport for people with disabilities and is it properly implemented?
  • Are socially disadvantaged groups in under-served areas receiving special attention in transportation planning by local governments?
  • Are investments prioritised to reverse the effects of spatial and residential segregation?
  • Is the focus of debate purely on transport infrastructure or is there a wider understanding about barriers to movement – such as gender relations, poverty, physical disabilities and affordability?

Informal transport systems

  • How important are informal transport systems (use of matatus, shared taxi systems, rickshaws) in your country?
  • Do operators self-organise schedules?
  • How are they regulated?
  • What is the cost of the service and how does this compare to average daily earnings of low-income groups?
  • Are there issues with safety on informal transport systems?
  • Are operators properly licensed?
  • Are vehicles roadworthy and properly maintained?

Public transportation budget

  • What is the government investing in the transport sector?
  • How does the amount invested in road infrastructure compare to public transport?
  • What are the financing arrangements for public transport provision?
  • What is the mix of funding between the government, any grants and loans, and private financing arrangements?
  • How does any subsidy system operate?
  • Is it targeted to low income groups or widened to benefit all citizens by lowering public transport prices across the board?
  • Has there been an analysis of the incidence of any public transport subsidies (e.g. how much benefit is received by the poorest vs. middle classes)?

Safety and security

  • What information is available on the safety of users travelling on different modes of transport?
  • Is information collected on transport-related deaths and the incidence of accidents and fatalities on different modes of transportation (e.g. moto-taxis vs. buses)?
  • What standards are being introduced to improve the safety of public transport vehicles and operators (e.g. minimum technical standards for vehicles, better traffic management systems and more appropriate road safety rules)?
  • What is known about the chances of being the victim of a crime whilst using public transport?
  • Does the government collect and publish these statistics?
  • Are public transport systems safe for women?
  • Are women choosing to avoid using certain modes of transport and being forced to rely on more expensive options (e.g. taxis) for security reasons?
  • What steps is the government taking to tackle sexual harassment and sexual assault on public transportation?
  • Is it criminalised?
  • Are there reporting mechanisms?
  • Are there investments in making public transportation safer for women (e.g. well-lit pavements and stations, request stop programmes on buses for women late at night and early in the morning, route planning that explicitly takes into account women’s needs etc.)?

Healthy environment

  • Is the government prioritising transport modes such as rapid bus transit or light rail or investing in cycling infrastructure and discouraging private vehicle use in cities?
  • What efforts are being made to protect cyclists and pedestrians with appropriate pavements and cycle ways, and to give public transport priority (e.g. to create dedicated bus lanes)?
  • What is the government doing to encourage use of low-emissions vehicles?
  • What regulations and taxation are applied to incentivise low-emissions vehicles?
  • Is there a formal air quality monitoring system to monitor air pollution in large cities?
  • Is the data made public and is there any analysis of the air pollution hot spots in big cities?
  • How do these map onto the location of schools and poor vs. rich neighbourhoods, for example?
  • What steps is the government taking to tackle air pollution and control emissions (from industry, vehicles, agriculture etc.)?
  • What is the extent of urban green space (available for free public use) in major cities?
  • How does accessibility differ between neighbourhoods?
  • Are people living in the most deprived areas less likely to live near green spaces?
  • What are local governments investing in parks, outdoor play spaces, sports fields and recreation complexes?
  • Are facilities in good condition, properly maintained and considered safe for children’s play?
  • Do people have safety concerns about using urban parks and play areas and other amenities?
  • Are facilities accessible for people with disabilities?
  • Are local governments under pressure to sell green spaces in order to generate income and save money?
  • How is the pressure to develop land for housing or other facilities balanced with the need to maintain green spaces?

Indicators

Potential indicators to monitor the drivers of inequalities in this main driver category

  • Level of private car sales (and % of sales that are of low-emission cars)
  • Travel time of workers (disaggregated by relevant characteristics)
  • % of monthly income spent on transport (disaggregated by relevant characteristics)
  • % of national budget/GDP spent on transport
  • Number of crimes recorded on public transport (men/women)
  • Number of staff employed by transport regulator and annual budget
  • Amount spent by local governments on parks and recreational facilities

Candidate Policies

To see related Candidate Policies in this main driver category please click here.