Social Inclusion
The Councils have reacted to Government concern over ensuring that transport policy is socially inclusive. To this end, the main objectives of the LTP strategy were extended to maximise the ability of neighbourhoods to support the needs of their residents, thereby reducing the need to travel.
The following problems and opportunities were highlighted in the public consultation exercise:
Problems
Existing transportation network is predominantly car-based with a highly dispersed population over a large urban area and rural fringe
Many different centres of destination making public transport difficult to co-ordinate into priority routes
Rail network limited to east-west journeys with no links to centres of population
Opportunities
Develop land-use policies to support social inclusion
Support local centres for retain and employment opportunities
Develop discount ticketing arrangements for the elderly, disabled, young and the unemployed
Extending consultation to reach "excluded" groups
Ensuring local centres serve the community is far more sustainable than providing transport to central locations. However freedom of choice is something that authorities have not lost sight of. Specific policies have been developed to ensure that:
Public transport is accessible to all sections of the community
Community transport is targeted for those in most need and is enhanced through the life of this LTP
Land-use policies consider the needs of the community
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