Elderly persons' mobility situation and use of public transport in England and Wales. A logistic regression analysis.

Abstract

This paper examines the mobility situation of elderly people in England and Wales. The paper analyses elderly peoples' use of public transport for local movements and the degree to which each transport mode is considered "convenient" for that purpose. Using a logistic regression procedure as conceptualized in a dichotomous situation, the paper examines how elderly people's socio-medical conditions or disability could affect their "convenient" use of transport. The paper, based on a survey conducted in 1993, shows that the degree of mobility "deprivation" among elderly people depends on the type and severity of their physical/medical conditions. The study specifically reveals that mobility problems are significant among elderly people that have locomotion disability, and cardiovascular and arthritis conditions. The paper offers some practical suggestions on how the main-stream transport facilities could be improved to make them more accessible to elderly people.