Transport, health and inequality. An overview of current evidence

Abstract

The editorial to this special issue summarises the history of the three Health on the Move reports, published in 1991 by the UK Public Health Alliance, in 2011 by the Transport and Study Group and in 2024, written by the Transport and Health Science Group. The benefits of travel are the 3 As: Access, Activity, and Attractive Environments. We summarise the adverse effects as the 8 Cs: Cacophony, Carbon emissions, Community severance, Congestion, Concern, Contamination, Couch potatoes, and Crashes/casualties. There is an inequitable distribution of both the benefits and the harms. In car-based societies, the more affluent gain the benefits more easily while the more deprived, particularly the young, the old, women, those in poorer households and those from ethnic minorities. This article summarises the various ways in which transport impacts both health and inequalities, and how health can itself affect whether and how individuals can travel. We also summarise recent, relevant, systematic reviews for topics that were not included in Health on the Move 3: The reviews nor this special journal issue. This paper ends by discussing future needs in this field.

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