Essay Example on Ageing Mobility: Key to Global Age-Friendly Cities Project

The ageing mobility during the later stages of life is critical as it ensures that the individuals age actively and in needed condition. According to van Hoven & Meijering, (2019) mobility among the ageing population is critical to achieving targets put in place by WHO ‘Global Age-Friendly Cities’ project that involve social participation, inclusion and health services through the use of outdoor spaces and buildings. Many countries across the world have an increasing population of older adults that continue to raise various challenges as their lifestyle has changed and continue to move despite their ages. The ageing population requires high levels of accessibility to multiple zones like shopping centres, health facilities. Social and cultural activities carter for the ageing population through the preservation of unique places, on the other hand, public transport also adopts the same strategy of enhancing the mobility of the ageing population. Public transportation is a reliable means of transport in urban and rural areas for the movement of older people (Camporeale et al. 2019). According to Camporeale et al. (2019), public transport is preferred because of lower fare programs; accessible bus stops, expanded use of the small floor vehicles and measures. The features permit drivers to deviate from regular transit routes to either pick or drop the ageing passengers closer to their homes.

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The increase in the proportion of the ageing population across the world has led to creating transport safety concerns among stakeholders. The need to promote ageing mobility to boost the quality of life among the ageing people increases the numbers of older people using various transport networks across the world. According to Casado-Sanz et al. (2019), the percentage of the ageing persons using road network either as drivers, pedestrians or cyclists is rising; hence road safety issue continues to receive significant attention. The ageing population, through mobility activities, exposes them to numerous transport risks and is considered the most vulnerable road users. In Spain, many accidents that occurred between 2011 and 2012involved more than one pedestrian in more than 30 accidents and the majority of the pedestrians were the older people (Casado-Sanz et al. 2019). The mobility of the ageing population is therefore threatened by the increase in accidents involving the older road users.

Casado-Sanz et al. (2019) indicate that many kinds of research focus on visual, physical, mental and cognitive inefficiencies during old age leads to the increase in accidents involving the ageing population. Accidents involving the ageing population in most cases lead to high rates of fatalities due to the rise in fragility related to physical and mental ageing conditions. In promoting mobility among the ageing population, infrastructural developments need to integrate suitable layouts like road width, lane width, creation of pavements and road markings. Fitt et al. (2019), indicates that transport planning policies should, therefore, aim at considering the incorporation of accessibility and mobility of the older people as this would facilitate their smooth movement in accessing critical needs.

Transport innovations enhance the mobility of the old age persons contributing to a healthy living and mobile lifestyles as compared to the traditional generations of ageing people (Jordan et al. 2019). Populations continue to age hence increasing cases of chronic diseases, and immobility increases, therefore, putting the growing communities at more significant health risks. The mobility gaps caused by the age factor continually threaten the social cohesion, quality of life and the general well-being of the society. Jordan et al. (2019) critically evaluate the travel and mobility characteristics of the elderly, concluding that high-density localities significantly minimized the travel times and mobility efforts of the ageing population. Besides the modes used in the travel and mobility for older adults affect the duration of travel substantially. Therefore population density and the mode of transport used by the elderly significantly determine the level of movement of the ageing population across the world. Adequately addressing the mobility needs of the ageing population transport plans require the integration of special needs of the elderly through decongestion of urban road networks and introducing age-friendly specialized modes of transport.

The ageing population continues to encounter challenges in accessing adequate transport services that promote their mobility activities that aim at maintaining their suitable physical, mental health and general life satisfaction (Fitt et al. 2019). The inaccessibility of transport modes causes the inability to move in many countries for the ageing population, failure to drive and not having access to a car hence hindering the needed mobility of the older people in search of essential life needs. Many ageing persons cease their normal driving behaviour due to the medical, physical and financial resources. According to Fitt et al. (2019), the automation of vehicles would lead to car dependence to eliminate the existing inequalities created due to the ageing rate. The well-being of the ageing population significantly depends on the level of mobility across various places. The automation of motor vehicles is profoundly associated with enhancing the access to essential amenities like the shops, health care services, cultural activities and the interaction with the outdoor environment. Fitt et al. (2019) emphasize that the automation of vehicles creates significant benefits to the ageing population who get an opportunity to experience many cases of unrestricted movement, undertake physical activities. Vehicle automation significantly creates opportunities to promote old age mobility and minimize instances of societal car dependence. Fitt et al. (2019) indicate that car dependence causes congestion in urban centres and hinders active transport hence contributing massively to social inequalities and exclusion, especially for the ageing population. The levels of automation associated with the new modes of motor vehicles create positive mobility potentials for the ageing population across the world due to extremely different travel behaviours.

The ageing population faces mobility-related problems in their efforts to access critical facilities and services for their well-being (Jittrapirom et al. 2019). The existing cars, bicycles and e-bikes require a certain level of physical and cognitive efforts that continue to diminish with the increase in age. Demand Responsive Transport services (DRT) are also developed as a measure to enhance the mobility of the elderly and disabled groups. Jittrapirom et al. (2019) define DRT as mobility service vehicles that act efficiently as a private car and conventional public transport vehicles that offer flexible transport services for various target groups. The development of DRT services creates new dimensions in the transport services as it provides viable alternatives that can be used by the ageing population to enhance their mobility activities. The DRT services provide suitable options that adequately address the unique travel plans and other mobility patterns for the ageing population. Older adults heavily rely on mobility services that adequately facilitate their movement from point to point in search of basic requirements. The DRTs are preferred by the elderly mainly because of their high safety standards, barrier freedom and general affordability (Jittrapirom et al. 2019). The transport services are also associated with being elderly focused and are easily accessible mainly through a simple text message or phone call away. According to Jittrapirom et al. (2019), the studies conducted in Nijmegen, Netherlands the transport services and the existing subsidies for the elderly are well-known quality social support measures that enhance the mobility of the elderly across the country.

Transport systems across the world have been developed to prioritize the needs of the ageing populations mainly to promote their mobility and independence during the delicate stage of life. Transport policies initiated through the modelling of transport networks continue to be frustrated by high population density and high rate of motorization by populations across the world (Mifsud et al. 2019). The modern generation of the ageing people has continued to exhibit high levels of mobility and activeness, especially the post-employment period. The later stages of life, however, are characterized by difficulties in movement requiring more significant levels of attention for the elderly to access basic requirements.

According to Mifsud et al. (2019), in later stages of life mobility is mainly for personal and community purposes that aim at improving old-age living and access to essential facilities. Mifsud et al. (2019) in their study identify Malta as one of the countries that are experiencing a high increase in the older population whose mobility characteristics contribute to existing transport problems. The older people are identified through identification cards offered by the government that makes them enjoy certain privileges like low fare rates on public modes of transport (Mifsud et al. 2019). According to Cirella et al. (2019), proactive planning is required to ensure that the ageing population acquires lifelong mobility to boost their lifestyle. Transport research is considered as one of the modern solutions to developing transport networks that integrate the mobility needs of older people in societies. Transportation research board results continually indicate that access to reliable transportation services for the elderly across the world significantly contributes to an improved quality of life (Cirella et al. (2019).the technological and non-technological innovations of the various transport modes contribute to the mobility of the ageing population.

Conclusion

Many governments across the world promote active ageing among the elderly that ensures active involvement in labour markets, social activities and general independence in life. The improvements around global transport infrastructure would significantly contribute to the high levels of mobility among the ageing population. According to the study, Mifsud et al. (2019) the findings indicate that the older adults are usually anxious during their mobility activities hence have low self-confidence. Therefore in streamlining the transport network systems through various measures that are friendly to the ageing people contribute their level of mobility. Old age contributes to many people to abandon driving which contributes to high levels of depression and other emerging health complications that lead to high mortality cases. Murray & Musselwhite, (2019) indicate that when the older adults cease to drive, they develop problems with mobility; hence accessing needed services becomes a problem. The modernization theory emphasizes how modern societies have transformed into individualized systems that allow minimal support to other members of the community. Therefore Murray & Musselwhite, (2019) suggests that upon cessation of driving, the older people require informal support from family members, friends and neighbours to help them achieve mobility activities. The friendly support offered to the ageing population undergoing the process of life after driving tend to provide motivation in changing the lifestyles and adopt other mobility mechanisms.