<Original Papers>Study on the Evaluation of the Bus Services for the Elderly People in a Local Town

Abstract

publisher[Synopsis] In Kumano-cho the Hiroshima Electric Railway bus which is an only public transportation was management aggravation, the some routes were abolished in 2006. Kumano-cho is as high ratio as more than 30% of aging rates, and the town locates in hillside. The existence of many hills and slopes has been the obstacle of resident's daily-life. Therefore, decrease in bus services made residents inconvenient. It has been an important subject to secure elderly people's transportation devices in this town. The workshops were held in 2011. There residents argued about the view and necessity for a life transport planning for aging people. At the result a plan in consideration of residents request was drawn up. Based on this plan, a free bus service was carried out from July, 2012 for half an year. The bus system was called the Odekakego, and a taxi with a capacity of nine-passengers was used. By the user number and their requests and opinions the bus services were revised again, and it carried out newly from April, 2013. Here the actual conditions and an analysed results were shown, and a sustainable bus system in future was considered