European national government approaches to older people's transport system needs

- Eleven age-friendly qualities of transport systems are identified.
- National government documents from across the EU are analysed to assess the extent to which they promote these qualities.
- Safety, barrier freedom and affordability are the three most recognised and promoted age-friendly transport system qualities.
- A better approach would recognise the role of specific modes within a journey chain as well as the value of all 11 qualities.

In the context of an ageing population in Europe, our aim in this paper is to establish the extent to which national governments accommodate mobility among older people by promoting specific, age-friendly qualities of transport systems. We identify 11 qualities that help to promote mobility, and hence independence and social/economic inclusion, for older people. We analyse national-level government documents across the EU, Norway and Switzerland to determine how far they address each quality and conclude that disproportionate emphasis is currently being placed on the tangible and easily understood aspects of safety, barrier freedom and affordability. For various reasons, mobility among older people might better be promoted with a more rounded approach.