TfN Research shows extent of social exclusion in region

Research by Transport for the North (TfN) reveals that 3.3 million people from across the region one in five people - live in areas where there is a “significant risk” of transport-related social exclusion (TRSE).

TRSE means being unable to access opportunities, key services and community life as much as needed, and facing major obstacles in everyday life through the wider impacts of having to travel. TfN says that a high level of car dependency is the key driver of TRSE in the North, exacerbated by the decline of subsidised bus routes.

“We’ve known for a long time about the lack of transport options for those living in the rural and urban fringes and the impact it has on them, but what is revealing is the amount of people that TRSE is affecting,” said TfN Chairman Lord McLoughlin.

“We need to see significant investment in local public transport across the North to ensure that people who really need a working transport system will get it.”

The study, the first of its kind in the UK, engaged with 3,000 members of the public.

The affected areas are widely distributed across the North, especially in rural areas, and are particularly concentrated in former manufacturing and mining communities, coastal areas and smaller towns and cities.

The impact on people includes the cost, time, stress and anxiety entailed in using public transport. Together, they can contribute to a vicious cycle of poverty, isolation and poor access to basic services, says TfN.

Those disproportionately affected include people with disabilities/caring responsibilities, and those on low incomes.

The solutions set out in the report focus on the need for “transformation in the quality, availability, and cost of local public transport services,” alongside the rollout of safe, convenient and accessible routes for walking and cycling.

McLoughlin (pictured) added: “This report shows the level of commitment that we need to see if the levelling-up agenda is to come to fruition.

“This issue is holding the region back and must be addressed if we are to achieve our full potential”.