Identifying the Transport Needs of the Transport Disadvantaged Groups in Rural Areas of New South Wales, Australia: A Case Study

Purpose: The current paper aimed at developing a transport need index to measure the needs of transport disadvantaged groups in rural areas of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This transport supply index, in turn, assesses the provision of transport services in these areas. Methods: We adopted the index methods developed for Australian metropolitan areas to reflect the extent of the rural transport problem, the range of social needs groups of the rural areas, and the specialized types of services used in rural areas. A geographical information system is used to quantify the index values, assess transport needs and the spatial distribution of identified gaps between the levels of service supply. Results: The results of the current study highlighted that transport needs were spatially distributed across rural areas, but concentrated in certain coastal and inland areas, particularly the North-Western parts of NSW. These areas had very poor public transport options that were not likely to be improved without targeted community transport type projects and provisions of social services. Conclusion: The developed indexes present a quantitative basis on which the extent of transport need and transport supply in an area can be compared with other areas. They are a robust mechanism for government and non-government agencies to address community needs in rural NSW through specialised transportation services, and allocate appropriate funding levels in a consistent and equitable manner. The ready availability of census data and other transport level of service data facilitate the application of this approach.