2023 Volume 79 Issue 20 Article ID: 23-20049
In this study, based on a questionnaire survey of elderly people in Toyota City, we examined the willingness to purchase the free-ride policy for railroads, buses, and cabs, as well as the increase in the frequency of going out and the expansion of the range of going out that would result from the use of the policy. The results showed that even if public transportation became free and unlimited, there were people who did not use it and those who went out and talked with others less frequently. This suggests that many people who currently use private cars will decrease their activity if they cannot successfully switch from private cars to public transportation. Attributes that were likely to purchase an unlimited public transportation plan were: relatively young elderly, elderly living alone, elderly-only households, elderly with long distances to bus stops, elderly with long distances to train stations, elderly with short walking distances, and users of buses, trains, and cabs. The development of measures needs to target these groups.
