Integrated consideration of the social and ecological dimension of the mobility transition: barriers to using sustainable transport systems by people at risk of poverty

Abstract

The aim of the mobility transition is to significantly transform the transport system from both an ecological and a social point of view and thus to make it ecologically and socially just. Everyone and especially vulnerable groups, such as people on low incomes, should benefit from the mobility transition. Despite very limited financial resources, people often finance a private car and save money in other relevant areas of their life, such as food. Switching to cost-effective sustainable transport systems would therefore have a high individual benefit for people at risk of poverty in addition to the social benefit. Two quantitative surveys with achieved sample sizes of 1031 participants and 420 participants were conducted in the Hanover Region in order to analyse the barriers to using sustainable transport systems by people at risk of poverty. The key results show that these barriers differ greatly between different groups of people and different types of households. The barriers to using public transport are significantly higher in households with children at risk of poverty than in other households at risk of poverty. The attitude of people at risk of poverty towards public transport is worse than towards driving, cycling and walking. This is why public transport is not their preferred means of transport. Regarding the use of bicycles, the main barriers for people at risk of poverty are skills and resources rather than their attitude towards cycling.