The dominance of cars in the transport system can lead to adverse effects on the environment, social justice and public transport efficiency. Free fare public transport (FFPT) is a policy tool that can help address specific problems in a transport system by encouraging public transport use at specific times and in specific areas. Transport planning authorities can implement FFPT in a targeted way, in combination with other policy tools, to help the sustainable and successful development of urban transport systems.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led several governments to introduce national lockdown measures. The study presented in this article performed an analysis of how the lockdown in Italy affected different individuals and municipalities. The findings show that mobility restrictions had the greatest effect in areas with high income inequality, lower individual incomes and higher fiscal capacity.

Night-time transport policies are primarily designed to service the urban night-time economies. However, the policies often fail to capture the extent to which different social categories have different needs, experiences and practices with regards to night-time transport. This may result in night-time transport policies that service a universalised transport user and can lead to transport exclusion for disadvantaged groups.

Developing road infrastructure is a key enabler for poverty alleviation. The research summarised in this article aimed to analyse the mechanisms behind how the investment and construction of road infrastructure drives economic development. Structural equation modelling (SEM) showed that the indirect effects of road infrastructure development had a more significant impact on a region’s poverty reduction than the direct effects.

The TRIMIS database includes many EU-funded projects that address social issues related to transport and may also address transport poverty.