It all begins with a question.
We asked low-income community members in Fairfield and Liverpool: “what would make life here in South Western Sydney easier, better or more affordable?”
We heard that transport disadvantage impedes low-income residents’ full participation, and impacts their wellbeing.
We heard that improved mobility and greater feelings of safety in public space would positively impact daily life.
Think+DO Tank Foundation’s solution is The People Movers.
What is “transport disadvantage”?
Transport disadvantage is more than a measure of how easily or affordably a particular person can go from A to B - for instance, how much the bus costs; or the affordability of running a car.
Typically in Australia, transport disadvantage is defined as difficulties accessing transport (both public and private transport) and/or difficulties associated with maintaining private transport (i.e., cars). You can read more here from the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
We understand transport disadvantage as a vector of social exclusion. An analysis of transport disadvantage invites a place-based analysis of the system of services and infrastructure that influence choices and outcomes for individuals, and a systems-based analysis of social exclusion and wellbeing.
Transport is a factor that affects perceptions of inclusion, levels of activity connectedness, and control over of one’s life. It is central to wellbeing and social inclusion.
The People Movers aims to provide a demand-responsive transport system for low-income riders and to promote wellbeing, participation, and social inclusion.
“The People Movers aims to provide a demand-responsive transport system for low-income riders and to promote wellbeing, participation, and social inclusion.”
Phases of delivery
Ultimately, our objective is to offer The People Movers as an on-demand shared transport service - similar to Uber Pool - for low-income riders, directed and staffed by the community as a for-purpose enterprise.
The most significant barriers to convenient mobility for low-income community members are:
lack of affordable, reliable mobile data to demand the transport that would help them to move around more quickly and easily; and
deficit of trust, and low perceptions of safety in transport and in public space.
Phase 1 is to deliver a reliable route in the areas of greatest need in the eastern parts of Fairfield Local Government Area with a 12-seater bus. Riders can connect to free, fast WiFi on board. They pay $2 per segment to ride.
The transport service will be staffed by local, bilingual workers who are trained and paid.
Phase 2 is to find ways of bringing greater WiFi connectivity to the areas the bus services - to enable our riders to connect to the internet.
Phase 3 is to contribute to expanded digital connectivity, and to offer a truly on-demand service. In this service phase, we will partner with experienced ride-share providers to maximise utility and to prove an affordable, scaleable and shareable transport solution for low-income communities that experience transport disadvantage.
“The transport service will be staffed by local, bilingual workers who are trained and paid.”
Community-Directed Service Principles
Our enquiry and community consultation has produced 7 service attributes and 16 community recommendations for the delivery of The People Movers.
Attributes
Responsive
Affordable
Timely, convenient & reliable
Joyful
Safe
Adaptable to changing needs
Community-directed
Service Recommendations from the community
The People Movers should be designed to reflect the needs of local people, and with a view to maximising ease of use, affordability, appropriateness.
The design and implementation of the systems that drive The People Movers must both deliver, and be seen to deliver, quality and trustworthy outcomes.
Ensure that The People Movers is designed in a way that maximises local people’s input and ability to exercise control over the services that are provided, and how they are designed.
Ensure that The People Movers is run in a way that maximises diverse participation and that does not allow any one group to dominate or control the enterprise.
The People Movers should be accessible, affordable and appropriate for diverse population groups.
The People Movers cannot be implemented unless robust screening and safety systems and insurance coverage are developed, tested and implemented.
A full risk assessment must be carried out and an ongoing risk assessment process developed.
The People Movers will adopt and promote a zero-tolerance stance in relation to intimidation, physical or verbal abuse, discrimination and harassment from staff or passengers. Offenders will be required to exit the vehicle and repeat offenders may be banned from riding.
9. The People Movers will enact a community awareness campaign for The People Movers vehicles and services as a safe and viable transport option.
10. The People Movers’ processes should include communications, education and avenues for collective action.
11. The People Movers must be designed and delivered using participatory and inclusive methods that allow people to exercise levels of control appropriate for different groups.
12. The People Movers must be delivered as a service for the benefit of the entire community, with all participants, travellers and employees understanding how they can contribute to that objective.
13. Ensure standards and accredited inspections/ enforcement mechanisms for vehicles involved in any car-share or lift-share scheme.
14. Standards for drivers in any shuttle or lift-sharing scheme that we monitor and enforce – for instance, by requiring a police, driving history and insurance check on applicants to know whether they have a safe record of driving and to assess any other risk.
15. Begin by offering shuttle services only to minimise the risk of one-on-one interactions until systems are robust and The People Movers has a trusted cadre of drivers and passengers.
16. Transport options use existing networks of friendship and trust in the community as a starting point to build confidence in projects such as The People Movers.
How do we know this is needed?
We have conducted a rolling enquiry with low-income community members in two of the most socio-economically disadvantaged metropolitan areas of Sydney:
the Green Valley postcode area (2168); and
eastern parts of the Fairfield Local Government Area (2165, 2161, 2163).
Our enquiry has encompassed the following steps:
Surveys
We administered two surveys reaching 159 survey respondents about their transport needs. 48 respondents helped us to design the route in Fairfield.
Qualitative enquiry
Through a collaboration with artists, Province Studio, 40 residents in Miller, Liverpool drew and mapped how they move, and how they would wish to move if there were no constraints on their mobility.
The video above animates their contributions and shows the impacts of access to a car, compared to residents dependent on public transport or limits of where they can take themselves by foot. Watch the animation here.
Mental Wellbeing Impact Assessment (MWIA)
We conducted the first MWIA in Australia with CHETRE, UNSW; South Western Sydney Local Health District; and Western Sydney Community Forum to assess the impacts on wellbeing of an on-demand transport service.
Thirty people participated in the process, including a focus group, and generated service recommendations and principles.
Think+DO Tank Foundation partnered with South Western Sydney Local Health Service; CHETRE, University of New South Wales; and the Western Sydney Community Forum in this work.
The MWIA report is available by request.
Interactive Participatory Budgeting - “Red Light Special: Woolworths”
We staged RED LIGHT SPECIAL in the aisles of Woolworths Miller and Woolworths Green Valley in April - May 2016.
We asked a combined total of 105 community members in Woolworths Miller and Woolworths Green Valley to prioritise spending across these portfolios:
· mental health
· access to information
· roads & traffic
· education
· sporting facilities
· public transport
· arts and culture
· the affordability of food and housing.
We asked respondents: how would you spend the budget if you were in charge of resources around here?
Once they had made their selection, we connected them over video conference, with another shopper in the nearby Woolworths to compare their spending, and to explore reasons for their prioritisation.
We found an extraordinary overlap between the two communities in terms of what they prioritised in local spending. After covering basic needs, such as food and shelter, both groups prioritised mental health care. Green Valley respondents prioritised education over sports facilities. And Miler respondents prioritised public transport over arts and culture.
RED LIGHT SPECIAL was a powerful experiment in local democracy. Think+DO Tank Foundation made space for local people to experiment with greater control, and to enter into a dialogue with other local people with whom they would not ordinarily interact.
“RED LIGHT SPECIAL was a powerful experiment in local democracy. Think+DO Tank Foundation made space for local people to experiment with greater control, and to enter into a dialogue with other local people with whom they would not ordinarily interact.”