Green Judith, Jones Alasdair, Roberts Helen
Faculty of Public Health and Policy , London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , UK .
Faculty of Public Health and Policy , London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , UK . ; Centre for Sustainable Communities , University of Hertfordshire , Hatfield , UK .
Ageing Soc. 2014 Mar;34(3):472-494. doi: 10.1017/S0144686X12001110. Epub 2012 Nov 6.
This study contributes to the literature on mobility and wellbeing at older ages through an empirical exploration of the meanings of free bus travel for older citizens, addressing the meanings this holds for older people in urban settings, which have been under-researched. Taking London as a case study, where older citizens have free access to a relatively extensive public transport network through a Freedom Pass, we explore from a public health perspective the mechanisms that link this travel benefit to determinants of wellbeing. In addition to the ways in which the Freedom Pass enabled access to health-related goods and services, it provided less tangible benefits. Travelling by bus provided opportunities for meaningful social interaction; travelling as part of the 'general public' provided a sense of belonging and visibility in the public arena - a socially acceptable way of tackling chronic loneliness. The Freedom Pass was described not only as providing access to essential goods and services but also as a widely prized mechanism for participation in life in the city. We argue that the mechanisms linking mobility and wellbeing are culturally, materially and politically specific. Our data suggest that in contexts where good public transport is available as a right, and bus travel not stigmatised, it is experienced as a major contributor to wellbeing, rather than a transport choice of last resort. This has implications for other jurisdictions working on accessible transport for older citizens and, more broadly, improving the sustainability of cities.
本研究通过对老年人免费公交出行意义的实证探索，为有关老年人流动性与幸福感的文献做出了贡献，探讨了其在城市环境中对老年人的意义，而这方面此前研究较少。以伦敦为案例研究，在伦敦老年人可通过“自由通行证”免费使用相对广泛的公共交通网络，我们从公共卫生角度探究了将这种出行福利与幸福感决定因素相联系的机制。除了“自由通行证”使老年人能够获得与健康相关的商品和服务外，它还带来了一些不太明显的好处。乘坐公交车提供了有意义的社交互动机会；作为“普通大众”的一部分出行，在公共领域带来了归属感和存在感——这是一种应对长期孤独的社会可接受方式。“自由通行证”不仅被描述为提供了获取基本商品和服务的途径，还被视为参与城市生活的一种备受珍视的机制。我们认为，将流动性与幸福感相联系的机制在文化、物质和政治方面具有特殊性。我们的数据表明，在公共交通作为一项权利可得且公交出行不被污名化的情况下，它被视为幸福感的主要贡献因素，而非最后的交通选择。这对其他致力于为老年人提供无障碍交通的司法管辖区以及更广泛地改善城市可持续性具有启示意义。
