Transport Poverty in Austria. Identifying vulnerable groups, their perceptions, coping strategies, and addressing transitions to low-carbon mobility and transport-related social inclusion
SUPERVISOR: Astrid GÜHNEMANN
PROJECT ASSIGNED TO: Olivia GOLD
This doctoral project focuses on understanding and addressing issues of transport disadvantaged households in Austria within the context of the government's goal to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality in the transport sector by 2040 (BMK, 2021). In Austria, approximately 20% of the population lacks adequate access to public transportation (Hiess, 2017). This is particularly relevant for commuting to work, as it constitutes a basic requirement for leading an independent and self-financed life. In Austria, commuting to work and service-related travel accounts for 39% of all weekday car journeys. In total, 60% of all commutes are made by car, while only 20% use public transportation (VCÖ, 2022). Reducing carbon emissions especially through increasing carbon taxes or the adoption of electric vehicles may lead to additional social inequalities (Mullen, 2021; Mullen and Marsden, 2016). However, these issues are rarely addressed in current research on transport policies. This doctoral project aims to overcome this gap by firstly developing a definition of transport poverty and a data base of transport poor households in Austria and secondly developing a simulation model to assess the impacts of climate change policies on these households.
Lucas et al. (2016) define an individual as "transport poor" when they face challenges meeting their daily needs due to factors like lack of suitable transportation options, excessive travel time, safety concerns, or financial strain. Transport or mobility poverty is often equated in the public debate with the lack of affordability of transport, which falls short and neglects other inequality and distribution issues. More broadly, transport poverty is thus understood as limited participation in social life
(including access to the labour market and to goods and services) due to insufficient availability, accessibility and/or affordability of mobility options (Furszyfer et al., 2023; Lowans et al., 2021; Lucas et al., 2016; Martens and Bastiaanssen, 2019; Martiskainen et al., 2021; van Dülmen et al., 2022; Verhorst et al., 2023). From a societal perspective, commuting to work should be a focal point in discussions about accessibility and inequality, as access to the job market is crucial for individuals and the economic well-being of a country.
Currently, the data situation in Austria regarding the characteristics and number of people affected by mobility poverty is insufficient. Commuting and educational transportation constitute a significant portion of journeys made by car, particularly in rural areas, and are essential for leading an independent life. Due to rising energy prices, the use of motorized individual transport becomes more expensive and increasingly burdensome for financially disadvantaged individuals and households (Mattioli et al., 2019). Especially in areas and at times where public transportation and active mobility is poorly developed or nonexistent, this can lead to significant financial and/or time-related strain, as well as a limitation of personal mobility. For commuting, this could potentially result in the loss of job opportunities (Leibniz-Gemeinschaft et al., 2023; van Dülmen et al., 2022). While most studies focus on transport poverty in rural areas (Bosworth et al., 2020), few focus on transport disadvantaged urban households. In urban areas, public transport options are generally better than in rural areas; however, adequate mobility options are unequally distributed in cities (Palacin et al., 2016; Sayfa et al., 2023). Urban transport poverty includes poor public transport infrastructure in some parts of cities, low frequency and network density during off-peak hours, as well as long travel times and frequent transfers required for commuting to some areas. Therefore, one focus of this study will be on transport poverty in the context of a large city and will be carried out for the case study of Vienna. Another focus will be on the comparison of transport poverty in the context of a large city and in the context of a rural area, particularly for commuting and educational trip purposes. The case study for the rural area will be carried out in the Innviertel in Upper Austria.
Research aims and methods
Research aims include theoretical background literature research on the topic of transport poverty, the development of a matrix of mobility disadvantaged household types, both rural and urban, and how climate compensation measures in the mobility sector will affect them, based on literature. Data collection is carried out in form of a multi-method quantitative and qualitative data research (including focus groups to gain an in-depth understanding of target group-specific conditions of mobility poverty and coping strategies from the perspective of those affected, in rural and urban area) will provide a data base of transport poverty in Austria also as preparation for modeling. With a system dynamics-based Stock Flow Model, I would like to gain insights into the development of the number of transport disadvantaged households over time, in particular in relation to climate policies within the transportation sector. System dynamics models are effective tools to simulate the impact of different policies and interventions on the transport system (Pfaffenbichler et al., 2024), helping to identify effective strategies for reducing transport disadvantage. Different scenarios of carbon free and socially just mobility can be analysed to understand the potential outcomes of different interventions and compared. Following the conclusion of the research, the development of approaches to reduce mobility poverty in both rural and urban areas, including sensitivity to gender and diversity aspects within the analyses is planned with the aim to contribute to achieving a carbon neutral and inclusive transport system for all.
Figure 1: https://www.freepik.com/author/upklyak
References
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