What Hope Is There for Us as Old Fogeys in the Future? a Review of Travel Behaviour of Older People: Current Trends and Future Prospects

Within the next 15 – 25 years the UK and Irish populations aged 65 years and over will increase considerably; inversely, the population aged less than 16 years will decrease though at a significantly higher rate. Perception, accessibility, service options, modal choice, urban or rural domiciliary location, income and social inclusion are all factors believed to affect the travel behaviour of older people, with the effects tending to increase with age. In the context of the island of Ireland, limited research has been carried out specifically to ascertain the changes in travel behaviour which result from ageing and also how the needs of an ageing population in terms of their travel behaviour can be met in an age of austerity. This paper firstly examines the linkages between mobility and lifestyle choices for older people through an international review of the research literature and then, through a review of policy responses on the Island of Ireland, addresses areas of key concern, whilst at the same time recognising that older people‘s transport needs and lifestyles are increasingly diverse. The paper concludes by identifying the gaps in the research literature and ways in which praxis should change.