Identifying opportunities to address Perth transport disadvantage

The iMOVE project Defining transport disadvantage in Perth was conducted by the Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC) at the University of Western Australia, in partnership with the Department of Transport (Western Australia). The project has been completed, and an executive summary report is available for download below.

If transport connectedness is not there, or is subpar, it affects many aspects of our lives, including access to employment, education, medical appointments and shopping, as well as participation in recreation and other social opportunities. Transport disadvantage (TD) can affect our opportunities to participate in economic, health and social activities.

As a first step to addressing transport disadvantage, there is a need for policymakers to gain a deeper understanding of the local occurrence of transport disadvantage risk, in relation to its extent, spatial distribution and characteristics. This is required to ascertain the nature of the problem and inform the development of possible solutions to address it.

What is transport disadvantage?

Transport disadvantage is the relative difficulty experienced by at-risk population groups, in accessing opportunities necessary for healthy, social and economic participation, due to limited travel choices, contributing to social exclusion, poor wellbeing, social disadvantage and transport inequity.

Project objectives

This project aimed to enhance the understanding of TD through developing a score to measure and compare the relative risk of it across locations in Greater Perth.

The objectives were to:

• Develop and apply an indicator framework comprising the most appropriate measures of TD risk;
• Identify, characterise, compare and map the risk of TD across Greater Perth; and
• Recommend opportunities for action in the form of strategic guidance for government and other key service providers.

Literature review

The first task in this project was to undertake a literature review that discussed how TD has been defined and conceptualised in the literature, and to identify contributing factors, including transport systems, population groups and locations. It also investigated TD outcomes, including social exclusion, poor wellbeing outcomes, social disadvantage and transport (in)equity.

Framework and transport disadvantage score

In addition to defining TD the literature view also allowed the researchers to build a working conceptual framework.

Three overarching aspects:

1. The transport system provides accessibility via different modes of travel, supply of roads, active transport infrastructure and mobility services, and travel quality such as exposure to emissions and amenity provisions.
2. Certain population groups were found to be particularly relevant to TD.
3. Participation opportunities include places for employment, shopping, education, health services and social, cultural and recreational activities.

Two aspects relating to TD outcomes:

1. Social exclusion, poor wellbeing outcomes and social disadvantage are associated with poor accessibility to participation opportunities.
2. Transport (in)equity results from inequitable distribution of accessibility.

Report findings

For this project the key elements of TD were assessed and used to develop a TD score. That score measured the relative level of risk of TD for different locations across Greater Perth, based on accessibility and proportion of at-risk population. Those marked as at-risk included:

• Young children (aged 11 and younger);
• Youth (aged between 12 and 25);
• Elderly persons (aged 65 and older);
• Students (full-time TAFE and tertiary students);
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people;
• Low-income households;
• Single parent households;
• People with disability;
• Households with eight or more persons (i.e. 8+ persons households); and
• People with poor English proficiency.

The score provides policymakers a useful starting point to assess particular locations and identify opportunities to lessen TD risk. This research looked at areas of Greater Perth with higher TD risk, and included case studies from inner, outer and middle zones of Greater Perth. These areas were presented in more detail to demonstrate how the results could be used by social and transport services and infrastructure providers to target areas for further investigation.

Beyond the project’s strategic value, an opportunity exists for further work that would support more specific and location-based actions. The necessary refinement would include increasing the granularity of data, extending data sources (quantitative and qualitative) and incorporating modelling and causality work. Once this more refined analysis has been undertaken, targeted recommendations can be developed to reduce TD risk. It should be noted, since this work substantial network investment has occurred across Greater Perth.

Expected project impacts

As a first step to addressing TD, there is a need for policymakers to gain a deeper understanding of the local occurrence of TD in relation to its extent, spatial distribution and characteristics. This is required to ascertain the nature of the problem and inform the development of possible solutions to address it.

Download the final report

Download your copy of the final report, Identifying opportunities to address transport disadvantage in Perth: Executive Summary, by clicking the button below.