Event

Hidden crisis: uncovering transport poverty

Thursday 29 February 202410:30 - 11:30
At this event, we explored the impact of transport poverty on British households and the steps required to alleviate its effects.

Recent analysis by the SMF found that transport costs are keeping 5 million people below the poverty line, with cars costing the median British household over £5,650 a year. Regions that are less well served by public transport and rely more heavily on car use are the worst affected by transport poverty, with the North East (12.5% of households) and West Midlands (11.9% of households) seeing the worst effects. With government interventions such as fuel duty freezes doing little to alleviate the impact, it is clear that more needs to be done to address the worst effects of transport poverty.  

At this event, our panel of experts discussed the main drivers of transport poverty, its links to wider regional inequalities and the action required to minimise its effects.   

Panel: 

Leonie Cooper AM, London Assembly Member for Merton and Wandsworth

Jonathan is speaking into a microphone and looking to the right of the camera. He wears a neutral expression. Jonathan Gibson, Head of Policy & Public Affairs, West Midlands Combined Authority

Caroline is a white woman with dark brown hair. She is wearing a rust colour jumper, and wears square-framed glasses. She is looking at the camera.  Caroline Stickland, CEO, Transport for All

  Gideon Salutin, Senior Researcher, Social Market Foundation 

Aveek is a South Asian man with dark brown hair. He is wearing a grey jumper and has on black framed glasses. He is looking at the camera. Aveek is chairing the event.   Dr Aveek Bhattacharya, Interim Director, Social Market Foundation (Chair) 

 

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Contact:events@smf.co.uk

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Publication

Getting the measure of transport poverty: Understanding and responding to the UK’s hidden crisis
As the single largest cost for millions of households across the UK, understanding the financial burden of transport is critical to decreasing poverty. Yet, unlike for energy or housing, there is no metric in place to track the cost and accessibility of transport. This report seeks to fill that gap by developing a measure to demonstrate the causes, locations and depths of transport poverty.
Published: 15 November 2023
Author: Gideon Salutin
Read