The Transport Poverty Risk Index (T-PRI), designed by EnvEcon, is a composite indicator which can produce a spatially refined analysis of transport poverty risk. It allows for an informed choice by decision-makers regarding the success or possible need for adaption of a specific policy instrument. It offers the capacity to analyse changes in transport poverty risk associated with specific policy intervention proposals, including major contemporary environmental policy transitions such as fuel price changes and increased EV consumer uptake. As applied to the Irish case, it is based on both relevant literature and datasets that are routinely updated in the system.
The T-PRI represents the creation of an objective, spatially referenced measure of transport poverty risk that offers a consistent and coherent means of assessing and comparing transport poverty risk at a fine scale. It is also capable of examining the influence of a variety of dynamic drivers of change. Analysis with the T-PRI is undertaken using GIS software at Small Area (SA) level. In total, there are 18,641 SAs in Ireland, each containing, on average, 80 to 120 households.
The composite approach allows for a multidimensional analysis of transport poverty by combining, in this case, eight indicators which inform three weighted categories which relate to: Transport Accessibility (T-ACC), Transport Mobility (T-MOB), Transport Affordability (T-AFF). The three categories are combined and weighted to produce the overall T-PRI. The final T-PRI ranges from 1 (Low Transport Poverty Risk) to 10 (High Transport Poverty Risk) can then be mapped at SA Level.
The full internationally peer reviewed methodology is available here.
