Exploring Travel Characteristics and Factors Affecting the Degree of Willingness of Seniors in Taiwan to Use an Alternative Service Bus

Abstract

This study investigated the travel characteristics of seniors in Taiwan through the use of a questionnaire survey. Survey results revealed that walking was the travel mode used to participate in the three most popular activities among seniors: doing outdoor exercise, chatting with neighbors, and shopping. For an aging society, a safe and barrier-free walking environment was an essential transportation requirement. Access to a transit system with frequent bus service could help ensure participation by elderly citizens in activities at greater distances from their homes. In areas where bus service was infrequent, a demand-responsive service (DRS) bus could serve as an alternative means of transportation for older adults. This study examined factors that contributed to the degree of willingness of elderly subjects to use a DRS bus for their medical trips. The influential factors included age, education, eye and bone problems, transportation mode typically used for medical trips, distance to the closest hospital or clinic, walking distance to the nearest bus stop, and bus frequency. This study suggested that the following areas should have the highest priority for a DRS bus system: areas located 20 min or more from the nearest hospital or clinic, areas located 10 min or more from the nearest bus stop, and areas where bus service is infrequent.