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Future Forum's young research fellow, Song Daphea was published in Cambodianess on October 19, 2024. Check out the original article HERE, and read it below!
When we think about poverty, we usually think about insufficiency in relation to income or a person’s lack of access to basic needs. However, poverty takes multiple forms and one of them also involves limited transportation access. This is also known as mobility poverty or transport poverty.
Transportation plays a central role in people’s daily lives. We rely on it, for instance, to get to and from employment opportunities, educational opportunities, or health appointments. Unfortunately, not all members of society can enjoy its benefits equally.
Equitable transportation and mobility are topics that require greater consideration in Cambodia. As our cities and towns grow and develop, we need to ensure they are designed so everyone can prosper equally.
The essence of mobility poverty
According to the European Parliament, mobility poverty or transport poverty refers to situations where people do not have access to transportation services due to a lack of options or simply the inability to pay for modes of transportation. The effects are apparent for socially disadvantaged groups who struggle to afford transportation or people living in peripheral areas where public transport is too far to reach. Fundamentally, the key common identifiers of mobility poverty often indicate the absence of three factors: accessibility, availability, and affordability.
Lack of accessibility means facilities lack necessary accommodations for people with disabilities, elders, or other vulnerable groups. This lack prevents equitable access to transportation. Lack of availability would entail geographical barriers to access and low frequency of transportation services. The lack of affordability means that financial barriers or the high cost of traveling prevent disadvantaged users from moving about their city.
It’s important to note that transport poverty does not exist in a vacuum. Other factors, such as the cost of time and the conditions of transportation—whether they are safe or unsafe, for instance—often compound this problem.
When individuals encounter any of these barriers, their right to mobility is directly challenged, compelling them to seek compromises or alternatives. While some individuals may be flexible in their transportation choices, it is important to understand that flexibility is a luxury not everyone can afford.
Let’s take a look in Phnom Penh
Transport poverty happens everywhere in the world and Cambodia is no exception. Let’s examine mobility poverty in Phnom Penh from two standpoints: public transportation and private vehicles.
Phnom Penh does have public buses, but this form of public transportation is not yet extensive in terms of coverage or accessible to people with disabilities. The bus coverage varies according to district. For instance, according to a working paper on Phnom Penh’s mobility conducted by Ses Aronsakda, the core districts—Chamkarmon, Daun Penh, Prampir Makara, Toul Kork, and Beoung Kang Kong—are relatively well-connected by bus with over 50 percent of bus coverage, whereas the rest of the districts only enjoy coverage of 10 percent.
Likewise, the low frequency of bus service poses challenges in meeting the needs of potential riders and makes it difficult to bridge the transportation gap effectively. The bus system becomes less available when moving towards the peripheral parts of the city, making it rather difficult for people to travel for work or study if they were to rely on public transit. It is also not inclusive, especially for people with disabilities. As pointed out in the Asia Foundation Report, persons with disabilities often face challenges when riding the bus from boarding to de-boarding due to the lack of disability-friendly facilities.Phnom Penh residents typically prefer private transportation to get around the city. The most popular transport mode is motorcycles, which have become people’s lifeline, enabling them to reach their destinations, respond to emergencies, and access opportunities. In 2023, more than 650k vehicles were registered, and 540k were motorcycles. Although they are considerably affordable and accessible, this mode of transport can be challenging, or even unsafe, for people who are traveling long distances, elderly people, sick people, pregnant people, young children, or persons with disabilities.
In Phnom Penh, mobility poverty manifests itself in other ways in people’s transportation choices. For instance, when people choose unsafe and risky transport options for themselves or their families because they are the only options available, that is a visible manifestation of mobility poverty. Mobility poverty is one part of the equation that has led garment workers to choose to ride to factories standing up in overloaded open-back trucks.
How do we address mobility poverty?
Public transportation is the main solution to mobility poverty because it can provide access to equitable and safe transportation. Phnom Penh City has deployed 13 lines of buses across the city to achieve a fairer transportation mode and solve traffic issues. The bus fee is also free to students, monks, persons with disabilities, teachers, sports athletes, the elderly (70 years old+), and factory workers to help with the expenses and seasonal free rides. Likewise, promising announcements—such as an instruction by the Prime Minister to build dedicated bus lanes—signal momentum in the right direction.
As public transportation plays a vital role in providing equitable transportation solutions, there is room for improvement for the Phnom Penh City Bus system. As mentioned above, the city lacks full bus coverage, and buses lack accessibility features, especially for people with mobility disabilities. Understandably, deploying a full-coverage bus system is a long-term project. Still, we can start by upgrading the system using small reform efforts to boost inclusivity and accessibility, for example, by installing disability-friendly facilities and prioritizing infrastructure that supports public transit access, like sidewalks.
The Phnom Penh City Bus can start by redesigning friendly facilities to enhance inclusivity. Instead of installing costly and complex wheelchair lifts on buses, changes to bus loading platform heights or additional ramp infrastructure might be built. These modifications can be incorporated selectively at certain stops at first. For further support, the platforms can be designed with handrails, for instance, to assist the elderly or parents with strollers.
Moreover, the bus authority can get creative by incorporating colors or sensory designs to guide people using the buses. This can be done through the bus mobile application, by providing audio information at the bus stop or inside the buses, by offering tactile cues, or by using colors to deliver the message.
Furthermore, well-designed sidewalk infrastructure is an encouraging factor in boosting people’s reliability for public transportation. There are a few alternatives to improve the pedestrian experience. For instance, Siem Reap sets a good example of re-innovating the condition of the sidewalks while maintaining compromises with the people.The Siem Reap authority has completely changed the perspective on sidewalks by rebuilding new pathways and making clear illustrations indicating where to walk, cycle, and park. More accessible bus stations, stress-free pedestrian walkways, and safe crossing points will further allow more people to use the buses more often while providing more equitably mobility.
Understanding mobility poverty is the start of inclusive public transit
Transportation plays a crucial role in people's daily lives. Excluding people from the right to transportation also suggests missing out on opportunities, education, accessibility, and the joy of traveling. Understanding mobility poverty as a barrier is a crucial first step in building inclusive and equitable societies. This lingering problem can cumulatively cause a huge tradeoff in people's socio-economic well-being.
Only by understanding mobility poverty and its impact can we effectively address the disparities in transportation access and work toward creating equitable and inclusive solutions for all.
Working public transportation is the core to solving and preventing mobility poverty. Although Phnom Penh is on the right start, there are a few things that we can work to better upon to increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of transit. By promoting full mobility access, we can empower individuals, enhance their quality of life, bridge the gaps created by transport poverty, and contribute to a more inclusive and productive society.
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