Over 3m people in north of England ‘face social exclusion due to poor transport’

A woman waits at a bus stop in Preston, Lancashire. More than 3,000 members of the public were interviewed for the Transport for the North report. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian

More than 3 million people in the north of England are at risk of social exclusion as a result of poor transport services, research has found.

A fifth of people living in northern England are prevented from participating in the opportunities and communities around them because of poor mobility and connectivity, according to the report by the devolved government agency Transport for the North (TfN).