What this indicator measures

This indicator assesses how well Scotland’s transport system supports care related needs. It considers affordability, accessibility, safety, connection between routes, rural and urban differences, and whether policy design reflects the travel patterns of carers, disabled people and low-income households

Key findings

• Public transport routes often prioritise 9-5 commuting patterns rather than the multi stop journeys typical of caring
• Women, particularly women from minority ethnic communities, report significant safety concerns on and around public transport, which can limit travel choices
• Disabled people face barriers to physical accessibility and service reliability
• Rural and island communities experience limited services, long travel times and high costs
• Ticketing systems frequently lack integration across different modes of transport, making multi leg journeys more difficult
• Data on transport usage and accessibility is available, but disaggregated analysis related to care needs is limited
• Budget decisions sometimes prioritise measures that do not directly address transport inequalities

Impacts on families

Considerable work is still needed to address the Scottish Government’s goal of reducing transport inequalities. Understanding and responding to how transport systems can support those fulfilling caring commitments is a vital step in achieving this goal.

Accessibility considerations

People in rural areas face the greatest challenges due to infrequent services and long distances between key destinations. Disabled people report inconsistent support, lack of step free access and limited staff availability. Minority ethnic women experience more extreme verbal abuse, that can be both sexist and racist in nature. Fragmented ticketing creates further barriers for low-income families who rely on public transport.

Budget context

While Scottish Government budget allocations for transport have risen in the last year, there is a lack of transparency and detail on key spending areas, particularly for buses, and a question mark over the sufficiency of spend for all forms of transport. Investment plans for bus travel have stalled. Those adversely affected by this will include low-income groups, and particularly low-income women, who are more likely than other groups to use bus travel.

Overall interpretation

Scotland’s transport system is essential to supporting care, yet current provision does not fully meet the needs of unpaid carers, paid care workers or those they support. Accessibility, safety and reliability gaps persist, particularly in rural areas. Fragmented ticketing and insufficient integration across modes of transport further restrict usability. Delivering meaningful improvement requires investment, better data and design that reflects the realities of care related travel, with particular attention to the experiences of women.