This paper investigates the rural mobility and accessibility challenges of a specific target group - Seniors. The target group is those over 66 years of age entitled to use the Public Transport (PT) Free Travel Scheme in rural Ireland. The paper explores at a high level some of the projected rural PT challenges and requirements over the next twenty years, noting that statistical predictions show that there will be a significant population demographic shift.
Astonishingly, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has forecasted that by the middle of this century, the Irish Senior's age profile will have increased by 98%. By 2051, over 1.6 million over 65’s will be living in the Republic of Ireland [1].
Using the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors (PESTEL) framework, the literature review explored existing research concerning mobility and accessibility challenges faced by Seniors.
Twenty-seven qualitative, in-depth interviews with stakeholders within the ecosystem were undertaken. The stakeholders included rural PT customers, Local-Link managers, National Transport Authority (NTA) senior management, a Minister of State, and a European parliament policymaker.
To address the breadth and range of the research, the interviewees were subdivided into two stakeholder groupings, Tier 1 and Tier 2. Tier 1 interviewee feedback spotlights that the PT network system does not exist for rural patients to access hospital facilities. The findings indicated that Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is potentially revolutionary in the PT arena to help address transport poverty in rural locations.
Finally, this paper suggests several short-, medium- and long-term recommendations based on the research findings. These recommendations are a potential springboard to ensure that rural PT is suitable for future Irish generations.
Investigate the Rural Mobility and Accessibility Challenges of Seniors
Lect.Notes Mobility
Transport Research Arena Conference ; 2024 ; Dublin, Ireland April 15, 2024 - April 18, 2024
Transport Transitions: Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility ; Chapter : 11 ; 79-84
2025-03-07
6 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
Exploring Transportation Accessibility to Health Care among Vermont's Rural Seniors
Transportation Research Record | 2019
|The mobility and accessibility expectations of seniors in an aging population
Online Contents | 2003
|British Library Conference Proceedings | 2004
|Island accessibility challenges: Rural transport in the Finnish archipelago
DOAJ | 2013
|