Title

Transport and social exclusion Phase 2: evaluating the contribution of transport projects to welfare to work: an international study: French national report

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2006

Subject Area

Location - Europe, Location - metropolitan, Location - Rural, Modes of Transport - Bus, Modes of Transport - Car - Licence, Modes of Transport - Train

Abstract

This report sets out finding of the six French case studies examined as part of an international study to evaluate the contribution of transport projects to welfare to work. This introductory section sets out the policy context in which the case studies operate, the various funding programmes available to finance welfare to work transport initiatives, and then briefly presents the case studies and methodology used. The subsequent sections set out the six case studies, which may be divided into two groups, three new bus lines supplied by a well known established operator, RATP. These routes are operated in the deprived areas of the inner suburbs of Paris, under specific conditions related to the mean social status of the zones. The other three services under review are supported by the IVM "Plateforme pour L'Insertion" programme. Their common feature is that the services are not provided by agencies in the field of transportation. Two of them are provided by by intermediate associations (French agency specialising in welfare-to-work placements for young and/or very low skilled workers. One (ATAD) is a travel on demand service directly operated by an intermediary association, operating in the outer suburbs of the Ile de France region. The other one is a comprehensive service to help the low skilled obtain their driving licence. It is located in the east of France, in the Nancy suburbs. The final service reviewed is provided by a private association under contract to welfare to work programs, and involves hiring a car for a few months to those registered as unemployed with a strong willingness to work, in a rural zone (the Lot county, in the South West of France) and where public transport is quite scarce. At the heart of each study is an evaluation of outcomes and effectiveness, focusing on both cost-efficiency and job access effectiveness. Finally, some comments are made on the future of the initiative and lessons learnt.