Making public transport fully accessible ‘could boost UK economy by £176 billion’ | transport

Investing in the UK’s transport network to make it fully accessible for disabled passengers could help put millions more people into work, boosting the economy by £176 billion, according to the report.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), which makes the economic case for a comprehensive transport network, said the current system was inaccessible to almost a quarter of the working-age population.

IMechE highlighted the lack of lifts and ramps at stations, large gaps in platforms, lack of tactile packaging and sensory-friendly environments, and said people were being excluded from work, education and daily life.

The report found that nearly half of disabled professionals have turned down job opportunities due to transportation issues, resulting in an estimated 2.8 million people being effectively out of the workforce, in part due to transportation barriers.

IMechE said helping them all find work could add £176.4 billion a year to the national economy, based on the Office for National Statistics’ estimate that the average worker’s contribution to annual economic output is around £63,000.

“Inaccessible buses, trains and stations are not simply a social failure, but a massive economic objective that is hindering growth, productivity and the UK’s path to net zero,” the report said.

The analysis comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced billions of pounds of cuts to infrastructure projects across the UK to cover defense spending, which has risen by £15 billion over the past four years.

Prime Minister Rachel Reeves has previously insisted it would be a mistake to cut infrastructure funding despite difficult fiscal decisions, suggesting Conservative cuts have contributed to slower growth in the UK economy in recent years.

IMechE estimates that the cost of investing in a fully comprehensive rail network would be between £20 billion and £24 billion over a number of years. It called on governments to consider tax incentives for accessibility upgrades to stimulate private investment and to make inclusive design a key engineering requirement.

It said the £176 billion figure may be a conservative estimate because there were other ways disabled people could benefit the economy, including a potential increase of £22.3 billion a year in retail, leisure and tourism as more people travel to high streets and attractions using public transport.

Closing the accessibility gap could generate between £10 billion and £34 billion in annual surcharge revenue for transport operators through increased ridership.

James Partington, Director of Engineering Policy and Impact at IMechE, said: “The UK doesn’t have a transport problem. We have a growth problem disguised as a transport problem. Improving access is not only the right thing to do, it’s one of the quickest ways to create jobs, stimulate the economy and secure the country’s future.”

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“The prize is enormous. The cost of doing nothing is even greater.”

Former Paralympic wheelchair racing champion and cross bench colleague Tanni Grey-Thompson has repeatedly highlighted inaccessible transport in parliament. She had to get off a train in London two years ago because staff on the London North Eastern Railway were unable to help her.

Nearly nine in 10 people with disabilities said they often or always had difficulty traveling, according to a survey conducted by the House Transportation Committee last year. Committee members recommended clearer legislation, stricter enforcement of existing rules and a unified complaints service for disabled people who face problems on public transport.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We are working to make travel easier for everyone by providing £280m for step-free access and lifts at train stations across England.

“We are also setting clear expectations for accessibility for buses and taxis to provide better passenger support and make it easier for people to move to their next mode of transport.”

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