Developing a framework for measuring rural transport poverty in indigenous regions of Michoacán Mexico

Abstract Mobility is a critical aspect of meeting daily needs and depends on several factors related to transportation. Transportation in rural areas necessitates a specific analysis to understand its potential and constraints. This study suggests a metric for assessing transport poverty in rural communities using a three-stage methodology: (a) defining suitable indicators based on international standards and participatory workshops with local indigenous communities in Mexico; (b) developing an ad hoc evaluation scale; and (c) implementing the metric in four different rural communities. The proposed metric comprises ten indicators spanning social, environmental, and economic dimensions, weighted according to the local mobility conditions. The results show that 50% of the population spends about 10% of their income on transportation, indicating a moderate level of transport poverty, while 10% spend more than 50%, placing them in a vulnerable situation. This tool enables us to identify the relevant rural transportation challenges on which to base strategies for fair and sustainable management, and can be integrated with other multidimensional studies.