The main motivation for this new publication stems from a study led by Oxford University into the largely unexplored topic of potential impacts of new and emerging travel demand management measures on ethnic groups in UK towns and cities.
The book is founded on the assertion that tools such as road-user charging and workplace parking charges have the potential to be very effective at managing urban congestion but are largely considered to be inherently unpopular. It is recognised that many of the negative impacts of new forms of zonal charging (such as displaced traffic and parking) will be felt most by ethnic groups in our inner-city areas, and it is therefore of great importance to understand these groups' needs–not only to reduce social exclusion but also to enhance the public's acceptance of these measures.
The findings draw heavily on two case studies conducted by the research team in Bristol (road-user charging) and Nottingham (workplace parking charging) that highlight the important role of public participation in the planning process to achieve public support and to understand the concerns of ethnic groups regarding potential disbenefits of the schemes. The case studies are preceded by thorough reviews of these approaches to managing travel demand and transport and social exclusion issues from an ethnic perspective.
The research proposes a new technique of ‘local audits’ to monitor the impacts of proposed schemes on ethnic communities before, during and after implementation, and argues strongly in favour of using net revenues to facilitate public participation activities and improve public transport alternatives to maintain social equity.
The book contains numerous quotes from survey respondents to reinforce its key messages, and is a significant addition to the growing literature on transport and social exclusion. Evidence is provided towards the end of the book that policy-makers are beginning to recognise more sharply than ever before the importance of the ethnic dimension in transport planning.
