Making public transport fully accessible ‘could boost UK economy by £176bn’ | Transport

Investing in the UK transport network to make it fully accessible to disabled passengers could help millions more people into work, boosting the economy by £176bn, according to the report.

Making the economic case for an inclusive transport network, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) said the current system is inaccessible for almost a quarter of the working-age population.

Highlighting the lack of elevators and ramps in stations, large gaps on platforms and the lack of tactile pavements and sensory-friendly environment, IMechE said people were being excluded from work, education and daily life.

The report found that nearly half of professionals with disabilities turned down job opportunities due to transportation issues, with approximately 2.8 million people effectively remaining out of the workforce due in part to transportation barriers.

Based on the Office for National Statistics’ estimate that the average worker’s annual contribution to economic output is around £63,000, IMechE said helping them all get a job could contribute £176.4bn a year to the national economy.

“Inaccessible buses, trains and stations are not just a social failure, they are also a massive economic target hindering growth, productivity and the UK’s path to net zero,” the report said.

The analysis comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week announced billions of pounds in cuts to infrastructure projects across the UK to help meet a £15bn increase in defense spending over four years.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has previously argued that it would be a mistake to reduce infrastructure funding in the face of tough fiscal decisions, and suggested that cuts made by the Conservatives had contributed to the weak growth of the British economy in recent years.

IMechE estimates the cost of investing in a fully inclusive rail network would be between £20 billion and £24 billion spread over several years. He called on the government to consider tax incentives for accessibility improvements to pave the way for private investment and an effort to make inclusive design a core engineering requirement.

He said the £176bn figure could be a conservative estimate because there were other ways the economy could benefit, including a potential £22.3bn a year boost to retail, leisure and tourism as a result of disabled people traveling more to high streets and venues using public transport.

Closing the accessibility gap could also create between £10bn and £34bn of extra annual fare revenue for transport operators through increased passenger numbers.

James Partington, IMechE’s director of engineering policy and impact, said: “Britain doesn’t have a transport problem. It has a growth problem disguised as a transport problem. Fixing accessibility is not only the right thing to do, it’s one of the fastest ways to unlock jobs, strengthen the economy and future-proof the country.”

“The reward is huge. The cost of doing nothing is even greater.”

Former Paralympic wheelchair racing champion and cross-class peer Tanni Gray-Thompson has repeatedly stressed the inaccessibility of transport in parliament. Two years ago he was forced to drag himself off a train in London because the London North Eastern Railway operator had no staff to help him.

Nearly nine in 10 disabled people surveyed for the House of Commons transport committee last year said they often or always had difficulty traveling. MPs on the committee suggested clearer legislation, stricter enforcement of existing rules and the provision of a unified complaints service for disabled people who have problems with public transport.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are working to make journeys easier for everyone with £280 million for step-free access and lifts at train stations across the UK.

“We are also providing better support to passengers and setting clear expectations for accessibility for buses and taxis so people can more easily get to their next mode of transport.”