Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR)

Project name:

Creating a More Age-Friendly Transport System

UQ investigator:

Dr Kelly Bertolaccini

Like many developed nations, Australia’s population is aging. This demographic shift will require thoughtful, innovative planning from Australia’s policymakers, transport planners, and engineers.

While many transport professionals and policymakers agree that we must adjust our transport system to accommodate the needs of an aging population, developing successful policies will require better information on older Australians’ travel behaviours.  To learn more about older Queenslanders’ current travel behaviours and their use of transport-related technologies, we conducted an online survey.

We received over 600 responses, primarily from Southeast Queensland. The results of this survey revealed that non-driving seniors make significantly fewer social trips than drivers. In particular, they made fewer trips to visit the homes of friends and family and to participate in hobbies.

We also learned that while smartphones are popular among Queenslanders over 65, non-driving seniors are significantly less likely to own a smartphone than driving seniors.  This suggests that many non-driving seniors are effectively excluded from any transport service that requires the use of a smartphone. We will be continue to explore this topic by conducting focus groups with seniors across Queensland.

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