Melburnians who rely on public transport face poorer and unequal access to hospital care than those who travel by car, according to new research from The University of Melbourne.
Published in the Journal of Transport & Health, the study finds that while hospital access by private car is relatively even across Melbourne, public transport access is fragmented and highly inequitable—particularly in fast‑growing outer suburban areas.
The research, led by Ruinan Luo with Dr. Páraic Carroll, lecturer in Transport Planning at the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, analysed hospital accessibility across medium sized regions, using detailed travel‑time modelling for both private car and public transport.
"Our findings show that where you live and how you travel fundamentally shapes your ability to reach essential hospital care," Dr Carroll said. "For people without access to a private car, large parts of outer Melbourne function as healthcare 'blind spots'."
The study mapped how easily people in different parts of Melbourne could reach hospitals by car or public transport. While car access followed a relatively balanced centre‑to‑periphery pattern, public transport access was markedly uneven, with many outer suburban areas unable to reach any hospital within 60 minutes—and some within two hours—by public transport.
The researchers found that inequality in hospital access was substantially higher for public transport users than for car users, and at some travel-time thresholds were approximately three times higher.
The study also tested a simulated policy intervention, modelling the impact of placing new local healthcare facilities, such as day procedure centres, in areas with the poorest public transport access.
The results showed that targeted additions could reduce inequity, substantially improve public transport-based access and eliminate zero‑access areas under the 120-minute public transport threshold.
Public transport hospital access before and after targeted healthcare improvements
The findings also identify areas where complementary transport improvements, such as higher bus frequencies, new cross-town connections, demand-responsive transport or hospital-linked shuttle services, could be considered in future planning.
"This demonstrates that better coordination between transport planning and healthcare infrastructure can deliver real equity gains," Ruinan Luo said. "Small, targeted investments can make a significant difference for communities currently underserved by both systems."
The findings raise important implications for Melbourne's future growth, particularly as population increases continue to be concentrated in outer urban areas where public transport coverage lags .
The researchers argue healthcare accessibility should be treated as a social justice issue, not simply a question of hospital location. They call for closer integration between health, transport and urban planning, more equity‑sensitive hospital siting, and targeted improvements to public and flexible transport services in outer suburbs.
"As Melbourne grows, planning decisions made now will determine whether access to essential healthcare becomes more equitable—or more divided," Dr Carroll said.
The study is part of a special issue on inclusive public transport in the Journal of Transport & Health.
Read more here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140526000836
