Transport needs of older people in rural Ireland

Investment in public transport in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has been predominantly in urban areas, with the development of a coherent rural transport policy being very much neglected. This has lead to high levels of car dependency in rural areas in both countries. This paper describes a project that focuses on one particularly vulnerable group: older people in rural areas. The project examined the problems that are faced by older people in rural areas in accessing services and carrying out trips in rural areas of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It looked at how unmet transport needs are leading to social exclusion amongst older people, a problem which will only become worse in the future as the population ages and as investment in rural public transport remains low.