The transport sector is facing various challenges and changes, including digitalisation and technological advances, shifts in social patterns due to urbanisation, migration, and demographic ageing, as well as climate change and labour shortages.
To address these challenges, it is crucial to make the sector more diverse and inclusive, ensuring that no one is left behind and providing a variety of perspectives, skills, and experiences. Currently, the transport sector is characterised by an ageing and predominantly male workforce. At present, only 22% of transport sector workers are women, and in certain professions, such as pilots and train drivers, that percentage is even lower (2-5%). Additionally, more than a third of workers in the sector in the EU are aged 50 or older (37%), and the employment rate of people with disabilities is below 50%, significantly lower than the overall employment rate (72.5%).
From the perspective of transport users, factors such as gender, age, employment, income, education, car ownership, and household size negatively affect access to and use of transport. For example, women with disabilities who travel with multiple children and lack access to a car or cannot afford public transport are generally in a worse situation than other groups in the population and therefore face a higher risk of social exclusion.
To tackle these challenges, TIS is committed—through various projects—to support the transformation of this sector to make it more diverse, inclusive, and safe for all. Specifically, TIS is co-responsible for coordinating the Ambassadors for Diversity in Transport Network, an initiative of the European Commission aimed at promoting inclusion and diversity in the transport sector. Additionally, our Director, Daniela Carvalho, is also an Ambassador for the Network.
Another project we are proud to have participated in is the Gender and Diversity Equality for Urban Public Transport in Barcelona, which supported the main public transport operator in the Spanish city (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona) in combating sexual harassment and LGBTIQ-phobia.
To increase the available knowledge about the challenges faced by people with reduced mobility and disabilities, TIS is also participating in the Fact-finding Study on Passenger Rights in Bus and Coach Transport, analysing the challenges faced by passengers with reduced mobility on long-distance bus journeys. Additionally, we took part in the Mapping Accessible Transport for Persons with Reduced Mobility project, which aimed to improve the provision of multimodal travel information services tailored to the needs of people with disabilities and reduced mobility. Another initiative we take pride in is the HiReach project, where we deepened our understanding of transport poverty and developed a diverse set of solutions with entrepreneurs from across Europe.
These are some of our credentials in the field of diversity and inclusion. Furthermore, TIS is a signatory of the Diversity Charter by the Portuguese Association for Diversity and Inclusion (APPDI), and we are committed to continuing to work in this area to enhance the available knowledge and support decision-making, making the transport sector more inclusive, diverse, and safe for all.
