Toolkit for Community Transport Solutions to Social Exclusion

 


Photo (Source: CTAA Magazine, Winter 2007)

 

This toolkit was developed for the Social Exclusion Forum of the Community Transport Association of America EXPO08 Conference in New Orleans 5th June, 2008. It was developed to provide an easy guide to the area of social exclusion and transport, draw from international experience and highlight the key role and opportunities Community Transport has in engaging with this policy area.

 

·        What is Social Exclusion?

 

·        What is transport’s role in Social Exclusion?

o       US Evidence

o       UK and International Evidence

 

·        How Community Transport can address Social Exclusion

o       US Case Studies and Resources

o       UK Case Studies

 

·        What other transport policy measures can address Social Exclusion – lessons from UK experience

 

Developed by

 

Jeff Turner, Independent Consultant, UK

David Raphael, CTAA Regional Ambassador

Dr Talia McRay, University of Texas

Dr Beverly Ward, University of South Florida



Last Updated: 13th June, 2008

 

What is Social Exclusion?

 

There are many definitions to social exclusion and there is still debate about how best to characterise it, but many agree that ‘exclusion’ is not being able to undertake the normal activities of society. Some argue that one way of looking at social exclusion is to see it as ‘having things done to you’. There is also some agreement that it is about not being to engage or enjoy many of the activities that characterise the society in which we live; 

that affect our everyday lives. It is also about more than just poverty, in fact that it is about the complex interaction of a series of inequalities (eg race, age, gender, disability, etc).

 





What is transport’s role in Social Exclusion?

 

Transport plays a role in people’s experience of social exclusion, as it influences access to many of the ‘normal’ activities of everyday life in our society; being able to get to work, being able to get to healthcare, shops, education and training.

 

Transport policy and decisions about the operation and management of the transport system also have a role in the experience of social exclusion. Decisions in this area are frequently made by technocrats or guided by 'technical' processes that may be opaque and exclusionary to many people. However, the outcome can significant impacts on people's everyday lives. Transport also plays a role through the transport workforce.

 

Transport employs a noticeable percentage of the workforce and provides high-quality jobs in many areas. However, the workforce may be more reflective of certain sections of society than others. The transport workforce may exclude many within society through its culture, institutional practices and customs.

 


 

US Evidence

Presentations on Social Exclusion from the EXPO08 Community Transport Conference June 5th in New Orleans

Role of Community in Promoting Social Inclusion by David Raphael

Social Exclusion: The use of GIS to develop Accessibility Models by Dr Talia McCray

 


UK Evidence


The UK developed an interest in the issue of transport in social exclusion, alongside an exploration and adoption of welfare reform policies such as ‘Welfare-to-Work’ in the late 1990’s. It began to appreciate that one of the issues connected to the barriers preventing more people to taking up employment opportunities maybe people not being able to get to employment locations. Studies were undertaken to inform the development of policy in this area.


The UK Government undertook. Social Exclusion Unit – Making the Connections: Final Report on Transport and Social Exclusion

http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/seu/docs/mtc_transport_se2003.pdf


The recognition that social exclusion has many dimensions, not just poverty, integrated other more established discussions on transport's role in other inequalities, such as gender inequality. This also connects with work on time poverty, user representation and gender (for example see:


http://www.oocities.org/margaret_grieco/womenont/time.html


http://www.oocities.org/margaret_grieco/womenont/gndr_nct.html and


http://www.oocities.org/margaret_grieco/womenont/gen_tran.html


as well as work on transport and social justice


http://www.sustrans.org.uk/webfiles/Info%20sheets/Sustrans_report_towards_transport_justice_april08.pdf


There has also been some work on social exclusion and transport on an international level. This includes a comparative review of social exclusion and transport across a number of Western countries including USA and Canada. This is available at: http://www.fiafoundation.com/publications/Documents/social_exclusion.pdf


the Canadian case study within this review is available at: http://www.vtpi.org/soc_ex.pdf


As well as the follow-up more in-depth study that was undertaken http://www.fiafoundation.com/publications/Documents/moving_from_welfare_to_work.pdf (summary)


as well as the individual studies of the UK, http://www.fiafoundation.com/publications/Documents/se_uk.pdf


French http://www.fiafoundation.com/publications/Documents/se_fr.pdf


and US contexts http://www.fiafoundation.com/publications/Documents/se_us.pdf


A bibliography of literature is also available at: http://planning.rudi.net/BIBS/SUSTRAV/REFS/ST10A.HTM

 


How Community Transport can address Social Exclusion

 

US Case Studies and Resources

Moving from Exclusion to Inclusion: The Vital Roles of Community Transportation Providers by Dr Beverly Ward


 

UK Case Studies

 

·         Providing access to employment – local scheduled or door-to-door services that provide people from peripheral residential areas to employment also often in locations away from main public transportation routes. There has also been a focus on providing access to employment at unsocial hours of the day (eg early morning shifts) and weekends

http://www.sheffieldct.co.uk/Pages/Bus%20Services.htm

 

·         Providing accessible transit routes – local scheduled transit routes for local communities or certain sections of society (eg people with disabilities, older people) servicing local shopping centres

http://www.hctgroup.org/index.php?sectionid=47

 

·    Providing innovative demand-responsive transit services – transit services that provides on-demand door-to-door transport service in rural communities for people who don't have access to a regular bus service or a private car. The passenger books the journey in advance through a call centre and pick-up and drop-off are arranged in advance

http://www.mendipcommunitytransport.co.uk/slinkybus.shtml

·         Providing accessible dial-a-ride services – door-to-door services for particular social groups, usually those with mobility impairments to access a small range of services and opportunities.

http://www.mendipcommunitytransport.co.uk/dial-a-ride.shtml

 

·         Providing group minibus hire – Allowing community groups and voluntary organisations to hire small vehicles, either with a paid driver or volunteer to enable access to regular meetings or trips out

http://www.hctgroup.org/index.php?sectionid=45

 

·         Providing access to shops – Operating regular services for members to access major shopping centres or food stores on frequent basis (eg. Weekly) for a low-cost

http://www.littleredbus.co.uk/harrogate/harrogate_journey/shopping_harrogate/

 

·         Building social capital and social networks- by bringing people in excluded communities together to reduce social isolation and maintain social networks. Community transport can also offer volunteering opportunities that can build people's confidence on their way to employment or benefit from skills in community without the need for financial resources

 

·         Provide contract services such as school buses - provide services under contract to local authorities as a way of involving not-for-profit organisations in the provision of transport services

http://www.brentct.org.uk/services/school/

 


 

 What other transport policy measures can address Social Exclusion – lessons from UK experience

 

Presentation at EXPO08, 5th June in New Orleans

How Community Transport Tackles Social Exclusion – UK Experience by Jeff Turner

The UK discussion on social exclusion and transport has involved many transport parties. Much of the discussion has focused on Big city transport operators and authorities and their needs for resources. There has also been a focus on solutions being developed by local authorities as part of their normal transport planning practices. As a result there have been several elements to the discussion on transport and social exclusion. Many of these steps have a key role to play in the development of more space for Community Transport providers to be involved in the solution. The steps have included:











  • The Accessibility Planning process has also developed a series of accessibility indicators. These are also described in the guidance above, but the core indicators developed are described in the guidance as:

    “These indicators will be measured centrally based on a common methodology and consistent, centrally available, data sets. The results of these calculations will be made available to local authorities as soon as possible, and updated annually thereafter. All the indicators relate to total travel time by 'public transport'. Public transport includes:

    • fixed-route bus services;

    • flexibly routed services which are available to the general public, and which have a defined area of operation (though comprehensive data on these may not be available for the 2004 indicators); and

    • walk and,

    • where appropriate (secondary school, further education, work, major centres), cycle modes.

    The indicators are:

  • % of a) pupils of compulsory school age; b) pupils of compulsory school age in receipt of free school meals (from a low-income household) within 15 and 30 minutes of a primary (elementary) school and 20 and 40 minutes of a secondary school by public transport

  • % of 16-19 year olds within 30 and 60 minutes of a further education (vocational education) establishment by public transport

  • % of a) people of working age (16-74); b) people in receipt of Jobseekers' allowance (unemployed person) within 20 and 40 minutes of work by public transport

  • % of a) households b) households without access to a car within 30 and 60 minutes of a hospital by public transport

  • % of a) households b) households without access to a car within 15 and 30 minutes of a Primary Health Care centre by public transport

  • % of a) households; b) households without access to a car within 15 and 30 minutes of a major centre by public transport”




Social Exclusion and Transport Network (SETNET)

Support can be gained through an E-mail Discussion Group established on the subject called the Social Exclusion and Transport Network. This is available to join at http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/setnet.html