Many over-65s in England 'rarely use public transport'
The
Future of Transport in an Ageing Society was compiled by think tank The
International Longevity Centre - UK (ILC-UK) and charity Age UK.
It says millions of older people are faced with travel problems.
More
than half of over-65s either never use public transport or use it less
than once a month, despite being eligible for free bus travel, it says.
Age UK said the transport system was not currently meeting the needs of the growing ageing population.
The
report also claims it is the oldest, those in poor health and those
living in rural areas who are let down the most by public transport.
Its findings include:- One third of over-65s in England never use public transport
- Approximately 35,000 people aged 65-84 in England have difficulty walking even a short distance, but are restricted to using public transport, making any journey difficult. More than half do not use public transport.
- 1.45 million over-65s find it "quite difficult" or "very difficult" to travel to a hospital, while 630,000 over-65s find it "difficult" or "very difficult" to travel to their GP
- 20% of those aged 70-74 living in rural areas use public transport weekly, compared with 38% of those who live in an urban setting
And it says research by Age UK shows that health problems are more likely than age alone to lead to people giving up driving.
It
claims only 1% of people aged 60 or older, who were surveyed by the
charity, would give up driving because of their age, while 43% would
stop driving due to health concerns. Helen
Creighton of ILC-UK said travel was essential for independent living,
and had benefits for people's physical health and mental wellbeing in
later life.
The transport system needed to be adapted to meet the demands of an ageing society, she said.
Caroline
Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the report should be "a
wake-up call" and that it was worrying how many older people were
struggling to reach a hospital or their local GP.
She added: "It
is crucial that older people are able to get out and about, especially
as the evidence shows this helps them retain their health and
independence for longer.
"The bus pass is an absolute lifeline
for many who would otherwise be stranded at home and is utterly
essential, but the truth is it's not enough on its own to enable older
people to stay mobile.
"For example, better transport planning and
more imaginative use of volunteers could make a big difference today,
and in the medium term driverless cars and other technological
innovations could be real game changers."
