University of London Centre for Transport Studies Working Paper

The Transport Contract

by Nick Tyler

Abstract

This paper argues that mobility should be available to all. Mobility involves both movement and accessibility components and it is important to achieve the correct balance between these when designing transport systems. The base system for design purposes is the public transport system as this should be available to everyone. Design of the public transport system should be set on the basis of peoples' transport needs: what they need from the transport system in order to achieve their mobility objectives.

Such an approach to the design of public transport systems has a number of implications for society, and so it is useful to consider how these might be expressed in the form of a "pact" between the transport system and the people. Rousseau (in his pamphlet of 1762, "The Social Contract"), saw the need for a contract between the members of society in order to achieve what he saw as equitable government. This paper discusses the possibilities for a "Transport Contract" which would seek to ensure that equitable mobility objectives could be sought and achieved.

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