The most common comment mature and older people make about the buses is: “They don’t gowhere I need to go”.
It is a fact that not many older people currently use their SuperGold Card to travel by bus.
Those who do are outraged that routes have been changed and they can no longer get to places efficiently. Increasingly as the population
It is timely for the bus routes and the public transport system to become more age-friendly and responsive to older people’s need to access essential services. Older people have an important role to play in the effort to minimise congestion and be part of the efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Reliable, frequent and convenient
The current public transport plans are designed to meet three criteria
– reliable, frequent and convenient.
When the route takes a direct path to the City Centre it is likely to be frequent and reliable, and, well, there is an App to tell you when the bus will come, but it is hardly likely to be convenient.
This is all because no one asked older people where they want to go, and anyway, the big bright yellow bus can’t negotiate neighbourhoods and get to some local shopping centres.
So, what are older people to do? It is time to make your voices heard, not just to complain but to seek active consultation on public transport matters from both the Community Boards, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Tauranga City Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council
They all contribute to the
Older people study underway
A special Engaging Older People in Transportation Planning,
If you would like to participate, complete a questionnaire or be part of a Focus Group, please do call Carole Gordon on 07-576 6727 or
e-mail cgordon@baylive.co.nz.
By Carole Gordon – “I write for Bay Waka because it reaches out to a diversity of people and communities.”
