Public transport services tackling social exclusion The West Midlands approach

摘要

There are many people - both individuals and groups - who are not able to lead full lives because of "linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health and family breakdown". This is the view of the UK Government's Social Exclusion Unit, which over the past three years has initiated new approaches to tackle social exclusion. The barriers identified include: the availability and physical accessibility of transport; the cost of transport, services located in inaccessible places (accessibility); safety and security; travel horizons. These challenges have been taken up in the UK by The Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs), who coordinate public transport services in the major conurbations outside London and who are promoting innovative solutions to social exclusion in their areas.