The Transport Committee has launched an
inquiry exploring the issue of transport as a
barrier to young people finding and taking
up employment, and what can be done to make things
better.
The inquiry comes as one in 8 young people (aged 16 to
24) in the UK are not in education, employment or training,
with research highlighting transport as one of
the key reasons for this.
The recent
interim government-commissioned report on
Young People and
Work, led by former health
secretary Alan Milburn, found that transport
was a significant practical barrier to young
people in being able to access work or training. This
was particularly the case for those without a
driving licence or access to a car, and for those in rural,
coastal and former industrial areas.
The Committee's 2025 inquiry Buses Connecting
Communities found that public transport
remains a major barrier to employment for young people,
especially in under-served areas where limited services and high
fares make it harder to reach college, training, entry-level
jobs, or shift-based work.
Chair comment
Both the Transport Committee's inquiry
into England's buses and Alan
Milburn's report into young people and work were clear
transport is often a major obstacle faced
by young people looking to find jobs and hold them
down.
Our new inquiry will dig into the detail
of this. We will examine the issue of transport as a
barrier to young people finding and taking up
employment and training opportunities, and we will
consider what can be done to make things better.
As we do so, the Committee looks forward to engaging
with transport providers, employers and further education
providers, and we are very keen to hear
the real-world experiences of a wide range
of young people up and down the country.
Call for
evidence
The Committee welcomes written evidence that addresses any of the
following questions:
a) What impact do the cost and availability of transport options
have on young people's ability to find and stay in work;
b) What cost and other practical barriers do young people without
public transport options face in using cars for getting to
work;
c) How well are these transport barriers currently understood by
national and local decision-makers, and what tools are available
for understanding them;
d) What flexibility, powers and funding do decision-makers have
to shape transport services and networks to respond to this
problem;
e) What policies have proven to be effective in, or should be
trialled for, improving young people's ability to get to
work;
f) Should policies be targeted, for example geographically, by
age, or by other factors; and what specific issues arise in rural
and other different kinds of areas;
g) What role should employers and transport operators play in
breaking down transport barriers;
h) Do the actions in the Government's Better
Connected strategy aimed at unlocking opportunities for
everyone have the potential to improve young people's access to
employment;
i) How would transport systems look
and operate differently if they were focused on
connecting young people to employment.
