Practitioner perspectives on inclusive mobility
A new report from TPA describes findings from two engagement processes exploring transport practitioner perspectives on inclusive mobility:
- A 2025 survey, primarily of TPA members, based on their personal travel experiences.
- A collaborative exercise during the Inclusive Mobility Workshop at the 2025 National Transport Conference in Adelaide.
The objective was to build greater understanding within the profession of practical barriers to mobility, by inviting practitioners to reflect on their own experiences.
The report provides a comprehensive picture of the results, including selected quotes from survey participants, providing the human perspective on factors that serve to exclude people from the transport system.
Survey
A total of 125 people completed the survey. Almost two-thirds experienced at least one of the four barriers to inclusion that we asked about – needing assistance, cost, disability, caring responsibilities.
For many, trips that were short by car became unreasonably long by public transport, reinforcing driving as the only practical option, regardless of cost.
"I've calculated that what takes me 30 to 40 minutes in the car would take me 1.5 to 2 hours by bus.”
The costs associated with owning and maintaining a car, as well as the costs of public transport, were both issues of concern.
“The cost of public transport increases significantly for families compared to the cost of using a private car for the same trip. “
Many felt investment is still focused on roads rather than inclusive transport options, restricting participation for people who cannot or do not wish to drive.
Many people discussed access issues that arose from caring responsibilities, often overlaid with disabilities, which may be invisible to others.
Personal safety strongly influenced travel choices, particularly for women and young people.
“If safety and walking safety between home/work and the transportation point could be better, I wouldn't have to hurry up to get my daughter to start driving.”
For people interested in riding bikes, road safety and the prospect of crashes was the biggest concern.
Asked about positive experiences, many people said that they generally felt well catered for if they were driving or had good access to public transport.
Positive experiences of inclusion on public transport were shaped by often small but meaningful factors such as frequent and reliable services; well‑lit and safe environments; friendly and observant drivers; and helpful passengers.
Conference workshop
An inclusive mobility workshop was conducted at the National Transport Conference, which included asking practitioners to consider social inclusion in relation to their work. Around 50-70 people responded to each question.
Two key barriers to connecting with diverse or less heard groups that professionals identified were:
- A practical lack of contacts and people who can facilitate connections.
- Project scope that did not allow deeper engagement than standard community consultation.
Practitioners most commonly nominated inclusive engagement as the thing they could do in their role to make transport more inclusive.
There was strong support for TPA advocacy to support social inclusion in transport.
Conclusion
Many transport practitioners understand the limitations of the transport system from a combination of personal travel experience and professional practice. They recognise the need for better engagement with marginalised groups in their work and support TPA advocacy for more inclusive transport.