Scotland's Care Policy Scorecard

Care holds Scotland together, yet it is often undervalued.
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Policy Area 4B. Transport

Score: 50%
Performance Bands Very limited progress 0-25% Early-stage development 26-50% Developing policy 51-75% Well-developed or transformative 76-100%

Summary

Transport plays a vital role in supporting care. Women make most care related journeys, often combining multiple tasks such as travelling to education, healthcare, shops and care settings in a single trip. Reliable, affordable and accessible public transport is therefore essential for both paid and unpaid carers.

Scotland’s transport strategy commits to tackling inequality, but major gaps remain. Public transport routes do not always reflect care related travel patterns, ticketing systems are fragmented and rural and island communities face significant barriers to access. Safety concerns, poor connectivity and affordability issues all limit the extent to which transport supports care.

Indicators in this policy area

Indicator 4B.1. Access to affordable, reliable and well networked public transport

Score: 50% Early-stage development

Public transport plays a critical role in supporting care related journeys. Women make most of these journeys and often rely on multiple, interconnected routes to meet caring responsibilities such as attending medical appointments, shopping for essential items and supporting children or older relatives. Scotland’s transport strategy recognises the need to tackle inequality, yet access, reliability, affordability and safety concerns continue to limit the effectiveness of the system for carers.

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Key challenges

  • Public transport routes and timetables often do not reflect the complex, multi stop journeys involved in caring
  • Women, disabled people and minority ethnic groups face safety concerns that limit confidence in using public transport
  • Rural and island communities experience limited and unreliable services
  •  Ticketing systems are fragmented and rarely integrate across modes of transport
  • Limited disaggregated data makes it difficult to assess the impact of transport policy on carers
  •  Investment does not fully align with the needs of low income and care dependent households

Key strengths

  • National Transport Strategy sets a clear commitment to reducing inequality
  • Evidence collection through national surveys provides insight into travel behaviours
  • Budget allocations have increased in some areas, supporting key priorities
  • Concessionary schemes and targeted support exist for certain groups
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