Making transport systems accessible is key to an inclusive Net Zero transition
Our transport networks must be accessible, creating an equitable and sustainable net zero future.
Article by: Eveline Vouillemin
Photo by Jakub Pabis on Unsplash
As the UK strives towards reaching Net Zero by 2050, reducing transport emissions is key to achieving this goal. Transport produced 26% of the UK's total emissions in 2021, and remains the largest emitting sector in the UK.
It is crucial that accessibility is at the heart of transforming our transport networks to ensure that the entire population can be a part of a truly equitable and sustainable net zero future.
As well as maximising emissions reductions, providing truly accessible transport for all will also enable equal access to education and employment opportunities, social activities and healthcare.
One in four people in the UK are disabled, and they do not have equal access to transport, leaving them with fewer possibilities to engage in society. Legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 was introduced to enhance accessibility and whilst some progress has been made, gaps still persist.
According to Motability’s 2022 report ‘The Transport Accessibility Gap: The opportunity to improve the accessibility of transport for disabled people’, the transport accessibility gap in the UK currently stands at 38%, which means that disabled people take 38% fewer trips than those without disabilities. This is a figure which has not changed for over a decade.
The annual potential socio-economic benefit of closing the transport accessibility gap currently stands at £72.4 billion annually to the UK economy, with transport businesses losing £42 million per month by ignoring the needs of disabled people.
Transport for All, a leading disability charity, released a new study ‘Are We There Yet? Barriers to Transport for Disabled People’ in 2023 which showed that 71% of disabled people want to use more sustainable transport, but are prevented from doing so by a lack of accessibility and availability.
The report reveals some concerning statistics about the various barriers disabled people face across every mode of transport and at every stage of the journey:
77% of disabled people said that poor pavement surfaces were a barrier to walking and wheeling.
38% of people said poor information about accessibility of stations was a barrier to rail travel.
51% of respondents experienced issues with priority seating and spaces when travelling by bus, such as seats being occupied or not clearly defined, or there being too few.
Only one in four mainline rail stations have step-free access, and 24% of respondents said that lack of step-free access was the single most significant barrier to using metro and light-rail services.
The barriers for disabled people also extend beyond inaccessible infrastructure and include:
Excessive travel costs.
Unavailable or inaccurate travel information.
Having to take longer routes due to a lack of accessible alternatives.
CEO of Transport for All, Caroline Stickland, said: “Transport has the highest greenhouse emissions of any sector in the UK economy, and yet conversations around Net Zero rarely seem to include disabled voices, and how to remove the barriers millions of us face to travelling sustainably.
“It is important to acknowledge that many disabled people will continue to need cars and taxis to travel, even with significant improvements to public infrastructure, and should not be penalised for doing so.
“However, for a significant portion of our community, making more sustainable journeys is a real possibility if barriers are removed, and one the majority of us want to see realised.
“It is also clear that robust, structural change is required to remove barriers and make sustainable transport more available, accessible, and convenient for all”.
To create a society that is truly equal, it is critical that this disability transport gap is closed. From walking and wheeling to public transport and electric vehicles, all these transport options need to be made accessible, safe and enjoyable for disabled people.
Greater accessibility and inclusion has the power to have far-reaching economic, social and environmental benefits and will empower everyone to participate in building a more sustainable world.
The journey towards Net Zero must be one of equity, where no one is left behind.
This article was written as an online exclusive, as part of our Volume 5: Technology series.
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