European national government approaches to older people's transport system needs

Abstract

In the context of an ageing population in Europe, our aim in this paper is to establish the extent to which national governments accommodate mobility among older people by promoting specific, age-friendly qualities of transport systems. We identify 11 qualities that help to promote mobility, and hence independence and social / economic inclusion, for older people. We analyse national-level government documents across the EU, Norway and Switzerland to determine how far they address each quality and conclude that disproportionate emphasis is currently being placed on the tangible and easily understood aspects of safety, barrier freedom and affordability. For various reasons, mobility among older people might better be promoted with a more rounded approach.

Mobility and Ageing: A Review of Interactions Between Transport and Technology from the Perspective of Older People

“…Thus qualities such as security (in the sense that transport provision is perceived as secure, and addresses confidence issues that older people may have), friendliness and comfort should be more directly addressed. Significantly, Johnson et al (2017) also talk of the single-mode specificity of most of the policy documents they evaluated. This neglects the need to join up transport policies to improve age-friendliness.…”

“…(WHO, 2002, p12) . Active ageing spans many policy areas, including health, education, and housing, though mobility underpins all of them (Johnson et al 2017), as the key individual and policy goal is perceived as being maintaining autonomy and independence for as long as possible. Somewhat confusingly however, the Active Ageing Framework also talks of interdependence and intergenerational giving (WHO 2002 Bodily mobility is more likely to be compromised in older adults, making the achievement of out-ofhome mobility more challenging.…”

Elderly Sustainable Mobility: Scientific Paper Review

“…A well-organized transport system should be easily accessible to all age groups of people. Public transport (PT) and walking should be encouraged as alternatives to avoid dependency on private transport [5]. Adequate accessibility for the elderly is not only crucial to older people themselves but also to those with whom seniors interact with daily, specifically where these others rely on a support such as childcare and voluntary work undertaken by senior citizens [6].…”

Examining the Process of Modal Choice for Everyday Travel Among Older People

“…The importance of having the possibility to participate in society while ageing has been studied and documented in several different contexts [1][2][3][4], as has the intrinsic value of mobility in itself [1]. Having the possibility to participate in various out-of-home activities has been found to be central for well-being outcomes during the later stages of life [5,6].…”