The concept of mobility is not only about transporting people, but mainly about making it possible for them to access their destinations easily. Thanks to this, sometimes it is even possible to treat a given need locally, without having to travel. In recent years, the word “transport” has been widely replaced in some contexts with “mobility”. Introduction of the term “mobility” into transport economics is a result of intention to emphasise two issues in the existing theory of transport systems.

The first is a greater emphasis on demands of the users of the transport system, related not only to the desire to move but the more fundamental need to have the easiest access to certain services. This need has long been the foundation of the theory of transport, but at some point it began to be understood that it can be something we can actively shape.

The second is the growing importance of non-motorised means of movement involved in meeting these needs – in view of the increasing domination and popularity of the automotive industry, but also the growing issues related to them, including environmental issues, adaptation and prevention of climate change.