This literature review examines 58 studies on equity in transit fare policy, addressing developments since the last comprehensive review in 1990. It divides the literature into seven categories: (1) fare equity calculation methods; (2) flat versus distance based fares (3) equity impacts of fare changes; (4) differentiated fares; (5) creating equitable fare policy for people with low incomes; (6) fare capping; and (7) free fare public transport. For each category, the review outlines the key findings and suggests areas for future research. Overall, the current literature shows that fare equity outcomes are highly context-dependent and shaped by system design, demographic patterns, and policy implementation. The literature suggests that direct subsidies to low income people result in better equity outcomes than subsidies to groups that collectively have a lower than average income. Additionally, free fare public transport has received considerable attention even as the literature suggests its benefits may be quite limited. In contrast, the limited attention given to fare capping has suggested that it has the potential to significantly improve equity outcomes with limited cost burdens to transit providers. Future research should focus on methods for identifying low-income users, best practices for implementing new payment structures such as fare capping, and different ways of using fares to increase transit accessibility.

Recent literature has given increasing attention to the different ways in which people can be excluded from transportation systems, with a reduction in economic, social, and recreational opportunities as a result. These theoretical insights into how transport poverty and transport accessibility can be measured and understood do not always relate directly to actual planning processes. Different government agencies have authority over different policy and infrastructure elements and within a transportation authority, different departments have different actors, goals, and approaches. An important first step in making advances in social inclusion is for transportation authorities to be able to evaluate their current approach as a starting point for policy improvements. Presently, however, no systematic method exists for conducting that evaluation. This article refines an existing Transportation Related Social Exclusion (TRSE) framework and develops a method for comprehensively evaluating existing TRSE reduction efforts in transportation policy. It applies this method to the operating agreements for the three public transportation concession areas in the Amsterdam Transport Region, using textual analysis to develop a policy overview for ten dimensions of TRSE. The application of the method reveals that different forms of TRSE receive substantially different levels of attention within the Amsterdam Transport Region. The evaluation serves as a tool for systematically understanding how different dimensions of social exclusion are being addressed, allowing for a starting point for discussing whether or not existing policy is adequate and creating opportunities for incorporating new theoretical concepts into practice.