Until recently, we knew surprisingly little about how travel and transport affects young people's access to work and education opportunities.
Following the Rural Centre of Mobility Excellence's 2024 Rural Connections report, which highlighted the lack of evidence on rural youth transport, we launched a targeted research programme. Our focus: understanding how transport affects 16-24 year-olds' access to education and skills development in rural communities.
Through analysis, stakeholder consultation, and surveys with young people themselves, we've built a clearer picture of the challenges they face, and our report Rural Roots, Limited Routes presents these findings.
We've also produced a summary report for young people who study and work in the East. It focuses on common travel challenges faced by those aged 16-24 and suggests ways to make travel more accessible and fair for everyone.
Why was the research needed?
1/3 people in the East live in a rural community - nearly double the national average of 17%. Although Strategic and Major Road Networks serve the area, public transport options, particularly bus services, remain limited.
This lack of public transport has shaped travel behaviour across the region. According to the 2021 Census, over 80% of households own at least one car or van, showing a strong dependence on private vehicles. Among young people aged 16–24, around 50% drive to education or work, and 16% rely on being passengers. This pattern reveals significant reliance on others for journeys.
The 2021 Census also indicated that 16% walk to their education or workplace, suggesting some people may choose to live or study close to their destination. However, the wider picture reveals serious challenges for achieving sustainable and fair transport access for young people in the region.
How we conducted the study
Reviewed existing work
We began by reviewing existing research to understand the wider challenges facing young people. Several publications - such as those from the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) - highlighted transport as a major barrier, especially in rural areas where options are limited and travel costs are high.
Engaged with key stakeholders
Between August and September 2024, we held one-to-one meetings with key stakeholders across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, and Tendring Councils, and an independent skills consultant working with Essex County Council. These discussions explored the transport barriers young people face and identified current work and opportunities to improve access.
Surveyed officers within the education sector
In September, we circulated an online survey to Transport East's local authorities, training providers, education institutions, and other stakeholders. We received 27 responses by mid-October. The survey sought to understand their concerns around student travel, their outreach programmes, and the types of transport support they currently offer to help young people access education.
Engaged directly with young people
To capture the views of young people directly, we ran a student survey across the Transport East region during the autumn 2024 term (October–December). We received 1,000 responses from people aged 16–24, which we included in the analysis.
From the young person survey, we learnt:
61% travel by bus to access education or apprenticeships
10% travel by train to access education or apprenticeships
22% travel by private cars (as drivers or passengers) or taxis
42% said their journey to education/work takes 30-60mins
37% spend £11–£20 per week on travel
33% find travel easy, 22% find it difficult, 45% feel neutral
The top two barriers to public transport were length of journey time (281 responses) and cost (206 responses)
Over 70% said transport had made them late to education or apprenticeships
The key issues identified for young people's journeys
There are limited public transport options
Rural areas face limited bus and rail services, leading to longer journey times than those in urban settings and greater reliance on cars.
There is a strong reliance on private vehicles
Many young people depend on private vehicles for daily travel - either driving themselves or relying on others. This is partly due to the poor frequency and long journey times on public transport.
There's a high cost to travel
Transport costs are a significant challenge, especially for apprentices who often do not receive financial support for travel.
The type of transport available influences the choice of education and work
Young people’s choices of where to study or work are heavily shaped by available transport options. Many choose places that are easier to get to, even if they are not the most suitable academically or professionally.
The opportunities available to improve transport for young people
There are several ways we can help improve transport access for young people in the region:
- Build on the work of the Rural Centre of Excellence, which has strong networks and proven results in rural mobility
- Engage with government departments to share and discuss the findings of the research
- Expand discounted bus fare schemes
- Strengthen collaboration with the education and skills sector
- Provide support to improve walking, wheeling and cycling routes to further education and training settings
The next steps will include focus groups with key stakeholders and young people, to inform a suite of solutions that Transport East can further explore to address the identified issues.