Exploring public transport usage trends in an ageing population |
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Authors: | Graham Currie Alexa Delbosc |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Transport Studies, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Building 60, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia |
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Abstract: | An ageing population remains one of the most significant challenges for Western society in the 21st century. Whilst public
transport use has attractive sustainability features for older generations there is mixed evidence with regard to trends in
travel and public transport use in ageing societies. This paper explores public transport trip rates amongst older age groups
using travel survey evidence collected from a household travel survey in Melbourne, Australia for the period 1994 to 1999.
A particular aim of the research was to establish trends in trip rates so as to explore the impact of the ageing Baby Boomer
generation on travel by public transport. The results suggested that compared to those aged below 60, those aged over 60 years
demonstrated 30% lower trip making overall and 16% lower public transport trip rates. Longitudinal trends in trip rates showed
those aged over 60 had a very small decline in trip rates by public transport (−0.004 average daily trips per annum) but increasing
rates for car trips. A further analysis showed a small but significant increase in longitudinal trip rates of public transport
use amongst Baby Boomers (0.004 daily trips p.a., p < .05) while car usage for Baby Boomers was steady. The implication of these findings is that trends in the existing over
60s population are not necessarily going to flow through to behaviour patterns in the Baby Boomer generations. The Baby Boomer
age group showed longitudinal trends in travel behaviour which contrasted with those of the existing over 60s generation notably
with a trend towards increased public transport usage. |
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