Transport poverty is a growing problem that requires urgent action to support heterogeneous vulnerable groups. Transport poverty is particularly pronounced in peri-urban and rural areas as a result of rising energy prices, lack of affordable transport options and higher costs associated with travelling longer distances. In response to this highly multifaceted issue, the present study focuses on examining the impact factors that form the basis for designing effective policy measures to address transport poverty. With the aim of better understanding the impact of the unstable energy and economic situation in the European Union and Slovenia, we analysed the situation and the determinants of transport poverty using micro-data on 18,540 Slovenian households, and estimated projections for economic stagnation and inflation scenarios. The key findings of the study, based on data from the Household Consumption Survey and complemented by Eurostat, World Bank, European Environmental Agency and other SORS data, show that the first quintile (i.e., the lowest income households) is overburdened by transport expenditure and that transport expenditure is sensitive to economic conditions, although it is declining proportionally less than gross domestic product, which puts additional financial pressure on the most vulnerable households in times of adverse economic conditions. The results also show that rising car prices cause transport expenditure to increase to a greater extent than rising fuel prices, as people respond to the latter by using alternative forms of transport or cutting back on transport. The findings of the study point to the importance of policy making with the aim of making public transport more affordable and modern, rendering it an acceptable alternative to the current mode of transport for most of the Slovenian population.
