Mobility of Elderly People in Areas with Traffic Inconvenience, and Desirable Outing Support Measures

Abstract

In some areas, the respective municipalities and nonprofit organizations provide paid services using private cars to supplement the local people’s means of transportation. However, in some other areas, such services are not permitted under the legal system. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted among elderly people aged 75 years and above, to ascertain the status of outings such as shopping and visiting the hospital, the status of holding a license, and the intention to use door-to-door transportation services. The results indicated that 1) the use of bus services was significantly lower than that of private cars; 2) non-licensed persons were more likely to request a family member living with them to provide transportation; and 3) the availability of a family member from whom door-to-door transportation could be requested influenced the intention to use the service, more than the status of holding a license.