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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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More than A to B
— the role of free bus travel for the mobility and wellbeing of older citizens in London | | Author(s) | Judith Green, Alasdair Jones, Helen Roberts |
| Journal title | Ageing and Society, vol 34, no 3, March 2014 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press, March 2014 |
| Pages | pp 472-494 |
| Source | journals.cambridge.org/aso |
| Keywords | Buses ; Free travel ; Mobility ; Well being ; Case studies ; London. |
| Annotation | There is a consensus that mobility is important to older citizens' well-being. This study contributes to the literature on mobility and well-being at older ages through an empirical exploration of the meanings of free bus travel for older citizens, and what these meanings hold for older people in urban settings. London is used as a case study: older citizens have free access to a relatively extensive public transport network through a Freedom Pass. The authors use a public health perspective to explore the mechanisms that link this travel benefit to determinants of well-being. In addition to the ways in which the Freedom Pass has enabled access to health-related goods and services, it has provided less tangible benefits. Travelling by bus provides opportunities for meaningful social interaction; travelling as part of the 'general public' provides a sense of belonging and visibility in the public arena - a socially acceptable way of tackling chronic loneliness. The Freedom Pass has been described not only as providing access to essential goods and services, but also as a widely prized mechanism for participation in life in the city. The authors argue that the mechanisms linking mobility and well-being are culturally, materially and politically specific. Their data suggest that in contexts where good public transport is available as a right, and bus travel is not stigmatised, it is experienced as a major contributor to well-being, rather than a transport choice of last resort. This has implications for other jurisdictions working on accessible transport for older citizens and, more broadly, improving the sustainability of cities. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-150514013 A |
| Classmark | O4: OHF: C4: D:F:5HH: 69P: 82L |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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