Health impacts of free bus travel for young people: evaluation of a natural experiment in London.

نویسندگان

  • Phil Edwards
  • Rebecca Steinbach
  • Judith Green
  • Mark Petticrew
  • Anna Goodman
  • Alasdair Jones
  • Helen Roberts
  • Charlotte Kelly
  • John Nellthorp
  • Paul Wilkinson
چکیده

BACKGROUND We used the introduction of free bus travel for young people in London in 2005 as a natural experiment with which to assess its effects on active travel, car use, road traffic injuries, assaults, and on one measure of social inclusion, total number of trips made. METHODS A controlled before-after analysis was conducted. We estimated trips by mode and distances travelled in the preintroduction and postintroduction periods using data from London Travel Demand Surveys. We estimated rates of road traffic injury and assault in each period using STATS19 data and Hospital Episode Statistics, respectively. We estimated the ratio of change in the target age group (12-17 years) to the change in adults (ages 25-59 years), with 95% CIs. RESULTS The proportion of short trips travelled by bus by young people increased postintroduction. There was no evidence for an increase in the total number of bus trips or distance travelled by bus by young people attributable to the intervention. The proportion of short trips by walking decreased, but there was no evidence for any change to total distance walked. Car trips declined in both age groups, although distance travelled by car decreased more in young people. Road casualty rates declined, but the pre-post ratio of change was greater in young people than adults (ratio of ratios 0.84; 95% CI 0.82 to 0.87). Assaults increased and the ratio of change was greater in young people (1.20; 1.13 to 1.27). The frequency of all trips by young people was unchanged, both in absolute terms and relative to adults. CONCLUSIONS The introduction of free bus travel for young people had little impact on active travel overall and shifted some travel from car to buses that could help broader environmental objectives.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Rethinking passive transport: bus fare exemptions and young people's wellbeing.

Much recent public health research has emphasised the health impacts for young people of 'active travel' modes, typically defined as walking and cycling. Less research has focused on public transport modes. Drawing on qualitative data, we examine the links between bus travel and wellbeing in London, where young people currently have free bus travel. Our findings indicate that bus travel can be ...

متن کامل

Entitlement to concessionary public transport and wellbeing: a qualitative study of young people and older citizens in London, UK.

Access to transport is an important determinant of health, and concessionary fares for public transport are one way to reduce the 'transport exclusion' that can limit access. This paper draws on qualitative data from two groups typically at risk of transport exclusion: young people (12-18 years of age, n = 118) and older citizens (60+ years of age, n = 46). The data were collected in London, UK...

متن کامل

Ergonomic Assessment of the Sit-Stand Seat on Urban Bus Transport

Background and Objectives: In recent years, due to the rapid growth of metropolitan cities and the shortage of urban public transport means, including urban bus transportation, many people are forced to travel in a standing position when using these vehicles. This situation may cause pain and discomfort and non-collision injuries for passengers. The purpose of this study was ergonomic assessmen...

متن کامل

More than A to B: the role of free bus travel for the mobility and wellbeing of older citizens in London

This study contributes to the literature on mobility and wellbeing at older ages through an empirical exploration of the meanings of free bus travel for older citizens, addressing the meanings this holds for older people in urban settings, which have been under-researched. Taking London as a case study, where older citizens have free access to a relatively extensive public transport network thr...

متن کامل

Analysis of Youth Travel Behavior toward Rail, Air and Bus Transportation in Iran

The median of Iran population is much younger than many developed countries. This has impacts on the overall transportation behavior of the society.  In this research it is found that there is a significant Pearson correlation (-0.765) between median age and fatalities in different countries of the world. A questionnaire is developed to analyze the importance of various factors in choosing mode...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • Journal of epidemiology and community health

دوره 67 8  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2013