Transport to employment
Transport has a vital role in tackling child poverty.
When parents and carers cannot afford or access reliable transport, it can prevent them from taking up work, training or education, even when opportunities exist. This can reduce household income, increase living costs and can keep families trapped in poverty.
Our transport to employment work is focussing on tackling these barriers. When parents can access and sustain employment, household incomes increase and children benefit from greater financial stability. Transport improvements also enable access to childcare, education, training and key services, helping to create better outcomes for families and young people across the region.
Our work is focussing on six themes:
School communities – We will use existing connections with schools to work with parents on a range of initiatives, including bespoke travel advice and training, paid work experience placement in the transport sector, and engaging with parents around transport as a career option.
Transport to large workplaces – This will include larger scale projects to provide public transport connections to large employment sites across the region where public transport routes are either don’t exist or where connections are limited by timetables. Examples include new Sunday services to major retail employment sites and connections to the Edinburgh BioQuarter.
Rural Transport to Work and Further Education – We know that there can be specific challenges for people getting to employment and education opportunities when they live in rural areas and that this can be made more difficult if there isn’t regular timetabled public transport. Though this work, we will look to support additional rural public transport services in specific areas of the region.
Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) support – We will provide additional funding to support LEPs when requested, such as to provide paid transport related work placements.
Transport to healthcare pilots – We will support a small number of high priority pilot projects that provide transport to health care locations. The purpose of these will be to demonstrate the value that specific interventions can have both for those working and attending appointments.
Capacity and capability – We will support some additional staff roles within local authorities to support delivery in the year, with a focus on engaging with employers around transport to support parents into work and with existing roles. This theme also covers our work on the whole Transport to Employment programme.
The projects we're funding
Clackmannanshire Council
Funding: £202,887
This programme tackles child poverty by combining community-led decision-making, employability placements, and targeted transport solutions for parents. It funds paid placements, NHS Academy travel, a Job Broker role, childcare transport support, and access to further education. By embedding lived experience and strengthening employer links, the programme reduces barriers to work, improves household incomes, and delivers practical, local solutions that support parents into sustainable employment.
East Lothian Council
Funding: £290,420
This programme enhances key bus services to reduce child poverty by improving employment access for parents, focusing on access to the Edinburgh Bioquarter, Western General, and Fort Kinnaird retail park. It strengthens connections for shift workers, reduces travel costs, and links communities to major job and healthcare sites. Targeting deprived areas and low car ownership, it supports cross-boundary travel, boosts labour market participation, and delivers more inclusive, sustainable transport that helps families increase and sustain incomes.
Fife Council
Funding: £500,000
This programme reduces child poverty by improving access to employment and healthcare through new demand responsive transport (DRT) services in South West Fife and Levenmouth. Aligned with the Regional Bus Strategy, it integrates DRT with wider networks, strengthening connectivity in underserved areas. By improving access to jobs, services and onward travel, it supports parents to enter and sustain employment, helping raise household incomes and reduce poverty.
Midlothian Council
Funding: £245,000
This project reduces child poverty by delivering enhanced bus services linking priority communities to the Edinburgh Bioquarter, aligned to shift patterns. It improves access to employment, training and healthcare for residents in deprived areas, providing reliable, affordable connections. By removing transport barriers to work, it supports parents into employment, increases income security, and contributes to wider goals of inclusion, reduced inequality, and sustainable transport.
Scottish Borders Council
Funding: £287,000
This programme includes coordinated employer engagement, new transport services, and behaviour change initiatives supporting parents into employment. It includes a dedicated officer, new bus routes to Borders General Hospital and Borders College, and expansion of RIDONKULOUS. These interventions address transport and childcare barriers, improve access to jobs and training, and strengthen pathways into work, helping low-income families increase earnings and long-term prospects.
West Lothian Council
Funding: £250,000
This project reduces child poverty by improving access to employment through a new Sunday bus service and dedicated Employer Engagement role. It addresses gaps in weekend provision, supporting shift workers and low-income households to access jobs and services. By strengthening employer relationships and promoting flexible working and sustainable travel, the programme removes barriers to work, helping parents secure and sustain employment and increase household incomes.
FEL Scotland – Transport Access Pilot
Funding: £87,600
This pilot directly targets child poverty by supporting parents to overcome transport barriers to employment, training and childcare. A Transport Access Link Worker will provide tailored advice, confidence-building and short-term assistance. Delivered in Clackmannanshire and Grangemouth, it operates as a living lab, generating evidence on effective approaches to improving access to work, increasing incomes, and strengthening long-term opportunities for families at risk of poverty.
Greener Kirkcaldy - Healthy and Active Ways to Work Fife
Funding: Greener Kirkcaldy – Healthy and Active Ways to Work Fife
This project focuses helping parents access employment, training and healthcare while lowering transport costs. Building on existing delivery, it supports families experiencing poverty through targeted interventions and community networks. By improving affordability and access to opportunities, it enables greater participation in work and essential services, helping households increase incomes and reduce the financial pressures associated with travel.
Powering Futures - Transport Careers Pathway
Funding: £50,000
This project reduces child poverty by improving awareness of transport careers and supporting pathways into employment for young people and parents in deprived areas. It delivers curriculum activities, employer engagement and a “Parent Power” campaign. By linking skills, transport access and career opportunities, it helps families access better-paid work, increases long-term earning potential, and ensures those at risk of poverty can benefit from transport-related economic opportunities.
The Bike Station – Skills Development & Apprenticeships within Kids Bike Life
Funding: £77,455
This project provides paid placements, accredited training and employment pathways for parents. Through cycle mechanic roles, participants gain qualifications, experience and income, with delivery designed to minimise childcare barriers. Building on proven success, it supports progression into employment, helping families increase earnings, build resilience, and access sustainable opportunities within the cycling and active travel sector.