Exploring public transport equity between separate disadvantaged cohorts: a case study in Perth, Australia

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2015

Subject Area

place - australasia, policy - equity, ridership - disadvantage

Keywords

Inequity, Gini coefficient, Lorenz curve, Elderly, Low income, Car ownership

Abstract

This paper explores the equity distribution of public transport for three separate disadvantaged cohorts including elderly residents, low-income households and no-car households for Perth, Western Australia. It also undertakes a city-wide equity analysis of Perth and compares this with a published analysis for Melbourne. Overall the public transport distribution of the three socially disadvantaged groups was identified to be less equitable when compared to the population as a whole. The elderly had the most inequitable distribution of population relative to other cohorts. Perth’s population exhibits a 0.52 Gini coefficient suggesting a relatively unequal spatial distribution of services to the population. However, this is much better than Melbourne (at 0.68). Results imply that 70% of Perth’s population have only 33% of services supplied, whilst in Melbourne this figure was 19%. Policy implications and areas for future research in this field were identified.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Journal of Transport Geography home Page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09666923

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS