Fuel crisis exposes Australia's transport gaps, forces travel shifts: study

　　MELBOURNE, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Australia's recent fuel price surge has forced widespread changes in travel behavior, exposing transport gaps and financial inequities, new research showed on Friday.

　　The nationwide study of 2,177 people conducted four weeks after fuel prices began rising found that 45 percent of Australians had already altered how they travel, while a further 37 percent were considering switching transport modes, said a press release from Australia's Monash University.

　　Lower-income groups were disproportionately affected, with 85 percent of those experiencing financial hardship reporting changes, compared with 56 percent of those not under financial strain, the study showed.

　　In general, one in five respondents said they were walking more trips, while two in five had reduced overall travel, it said.

　　The shift toward more affordable and sustainable transport had largely been "forced rather than freely chosen," highlighting uneven access to alternatives, said lead researcher Lauren Pearson, research fellow at the Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

　　"Younger people and those under financial strain are doing most of the adapting, often because they have no other choice," Pearson said.

　　The study found growing openness to active transport as fuel prices climb, with 62 percent willing to walk more, 35 percent to cycle and 27 percent to use e-bikes.

　　Public transport incentives also played a role, with 45 percent of respondents in the state of Victoria increasing usage under free fare schemes, compared with 25 percent in the island state of Tasmania, the study noted.

　　Pearson said the next 12 months present a crucial policy window, with up to one in three Australians considering maintaining new travel habits even if fuel prices fall. ■