Over 60s not using public transport despite health benefits

Two thirds of adults over 60 rarely or never use public transport, even though it's free and brings health benefits, according to a UCL-led study. The study, published today in BMJ open, found that older people who used public transport regularly, walked faster and were more physically active. Researchers from UCL and the University of Manchester analysed data from over 7,000 adults from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and found that those who did not use public transport had a faster decline in walking speed compared to those who used public transport frequently. Among older adults who chose not to use public transport, most of whom used cars instead, the decline in walking speed was the greatest. One third of adults over 60 did not use public transport due to a lack of infrastructure and the poor quality of transport provided, whereas another third had no need as most of them had access to a car. Only six per cent of adults cited health problems as the reason for not using public transport. "Despite having free travel, and being mobile, older people are not using public transport for a number of reasons.