Photo: Christina Karlsson, VTI.
Hello there Jean Ryan, Senior Researcher at VTI and K2, who participated in the European Commission’s workshop on Transport Poverty and Accessibility
Can you tell us what the workshop in Seville earlier in June was about?
“It was about transport poverty, a concept used to describe difficulties faced by individuals or households in covering transport costs associated with participating in necessary societal activities, or the absence or limited access to the transport or accessibility required in order to be able to participate in society. The issue has become more prominent following the introduction of ETS2, the EU Emissions Trading System including emissions attributed to road transport, related to the phasing out of fossil fuels. Measures related to the introduction of ETS2 are expected to adversely affect certain groups to a greater extent than others. The EU Social Climate Fund has been established to help co-finance measures that can mitigate the impact on those at greatest risk of being adversely affected. During the workshop, key methodological aspects were discussed with regard to how the incidence of transport poverty is measured and assessed.”
Can you give examples of potential measures to counteract transport poverty in Sweden?
“This could, for instance, involve measures such as ensuring that there is some form of basic public transport provision, including demand-responsive services, in sparsely populated areas, subsidising different modes of transport, and ensuring that children and young people can reach the nearest primary school within a certain timeframe.”
What was your role during the workshop and what was your presentation about?
“I was invited by the European Commission and participated in the capacity of an expert. My presentation was about two studies that have been carried out as part of K2. One study examined whether it would be possible to define and introduce a “basic” or “adequate” level of accessibility in Sweden. We explored opportunities and challenges associated with introducing such a policy concept. The study resulted in clear recommendations for how this could be done. The second study concerned what is referred to as “basic provision” in sparsely populated areas, that is, what was regarded as a way of ensuring that there is some form of sufficient accessibility in this case through public transport provision. We studied the incidence of foregone trips in sparsely populated areas where a basic level of provision exists in Västra Götaland, and how foregone trips function as an indicator of a lack of opportunities to participate in society not least among young people.”
How will the input from you as researchers be used by the European Commission?
“The intention is for our input to contribute to policy development and the design of possible measures in consultation with different EU countries. The workshop was intended to strengthen the knowledge base for the design, implementation and evaluation of the EU Social Climate Fund as well as other policies at EU level. Another purpose was to build a network of people with knowledge on these issues, who can develop research ideas and explore opportunities to develop methods, and who can be involved in the continued, more concrete work where needed.”
Can you mention some of the points that were discussed in connection with your presentation?
“An explicit point raised about my contribution specifically was that it is better to introduce “adequate accessibility” as a policy concept in some form, even if the method or approach is not “perfect”, than to do nothing. You have to start somewhere, be pragmatic at the outset, and then improve over time. Another important point raised about my contribution was that young people are very rarely mentioned as a group exposed to transport poverty. However, our study showed that young people in sparsely populated areas are at risk of transport poverty, and they have certainly not chosen to live in areas with lower levels of accessibility. Young people often also have a greater need for social interaction than adults, and limitations on their opportunities to, for example, pursue education or obtain a job at an early age are likely to affect them for the rest of their lives.”
What do you take away from the workshop?
“It is difficult to choose just one thing, but something I have really been reflecting on is the balance between refining definitions and methods, and finding ways to practically incorporate this into policy and planning at different levels. Who should take responsibility? How? This is not necessarily a “transport issue” alone, but something that is a concern for many policy areas and for society as a whole. And it is urgent.”
Text: Anna Maria Erling