New project aims to tackle transport-related exclusion

Sustrans has teamed up with the University of West England to address the transport-related barriers faced by young people in the UK. 

The project, titled Transport to Thrive will explore why transport is important to young people’s ability to reach the opportunities they need to become thriving and healthy adults.

Running until August 2023, the project will produce insights and outputs that are useful for supporting policy and industry action.

It will bring together an interest group of policy and industry stakeholders that are committed to tackling the transport-related barriers that young people face.

A panel of young volunteers will also be recruited to share their experiences and to guide project priorities.

Sarah Collings, senior research fellow in Transport and Young People at the University of the West of England, said: ‘Young people have specific needs from a transport system. Many young people have less disposable income and are more likely to rely on public transport than other age groups.

‘It is also a time in life to access education, training, apprenticeships and first jobs. However, not all of these places are well-served by transport options that are available to young people.

‘We should not accept a transport system that does not meet the needs of our young population. Action to address transport exclusion for young people will help to safeguard their futures.

‘The pandemic has added to issues of exclusion for young people. We have seen a fall in employment prospects, an interruption to education and social activities, and a decline in mental health. If we are serious about supporting young people to recover from the pandemic, we need to identify, and account for, the impacts of transport decisions on the young cohort.

‘Ultimately, we would like to see a country in which transport decisions and investment are based on equitable access options for mobility for all age groups and within the diverse cohort of young people.’

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