With this research note we aim to improve the clarity of the notion of equity in transport policy so that decisions can be made about the importance of equity in such policies. To this end we present equity notions from the literature and provide examples of how these notions are
applied in real (transport) policies, both national and international. This knowledge may lead to equity being the third pillar on which transport policies are systematically evaluated in future, in addition to their effectiveness and efficiency. The underpinning of transport policy choices
with equity considerations can provide policymakers with justifiable and, for some groups, more acceptable policies.
We emphasize the importance of examining the effects of mobility policy on equity in ex post evaluations because policy measures can also have unintended effects. Ex post evaluations can look beyond the effects (and the corresponding variables and indicators) that were initially considered important. One can look for the presence of unintended distributional effects, which can then be measured and corrected. The underpinning of choices regarding equity can provide policymakers with more defensible and for some groups easier to accept transport policies.