Bridging Transport Exclusion in a Devolved City-Region: A Comparative Analysis of Financial and Infrastructural Interventions in Greater Manchester

Sahibzada, Kamila Khan (2025) Bridging Transport Exclusion in a Devolved City-Region: A Comparative Analysis of Financial and Infrastructural Interventions in Greater Manchester. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

This thesis examines two recent transport interventions implemented in Greater Manchester, each representing a distinct approach to addressing mobility challenges. The first, Our Pass, is a membership scheme providing free bus travel and access to cultural and leisure opportunities for 16–18-year-olds, characterised as a financial intervention. The second, the Trafford Park Extension Line, is an infrastructural project supporting the region’s aspiration for a more integrated transport network, akin to London’s model. While existing research in transport policy often focuses on travel behaviour, car dependency, and network efficiency, this thesis investigates how these interventions align with GM’s policy goals—specifically, reducing transport-related exclusion, promoting economic growth, and enhancing social mobility. These aims are explored within the conceptual framework of New Public Governance (NPG), with attention to collaboration, partnership working, and stakeholder engagement in fostering inclusive and sustainable urban development. The research adopts an interpretivist epistemology and uses narrative interviews with sixteen elite-level stakeholders as its primary data source. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis to identify and interpret patterns of meaning, complemented by a thematic review of relevant policy documents. The themes and variations uncovered through this dual approach reveal how each intervention advances—or falls short of—broader regional policy objectives. Findings indicate that, while both interventions achieve some stated aims, limitations persist in their capacity to promote comprehensive social inclusion and regional development. This thesis advances knowledge by providing comparative empirical evidence on the impacts of financial and infrastructural interventions in GM. By integrating interview analysis and document review, it critically evaluates how transport policies can support regional competitiveness, social equity, and sustainable development. Framed through NPG, it demonstrates how strategic partnerships influence intervention outcomes and offers a nuanced understanding of transport policymaking and its implications for social equity, environmental sustainability, and economic growth.