Mukwaya, Paul Isolo

Obi, Simon

UZONDU, CHINEBULI

English

Edge Hill University Research Information Repository

         Summary Findings Aims This project aims to provide more insights on the issues surrounding the mobility and transport needs of the elderly in developing countries. For example, understanding the present situations including examining present polices and policy implementation, investigating the key barriers/obstacles, fears and identities that affect active mobility, effect of the built environment on their mobility and how to make travelling more inclusive. It contributes to the knowledge base and raises various issues of concern on governance and policy. Methods Workshop discussions were organised with stakeholders in the two cities to serve two purposes: (1) understand the current mobility situation, and (2) identify themes and key questions and concerns for the planned interviews and survey. The workshop discussions covered the following thematic areas: • Overview of everyday mobility of older persons • The Ws: What, Where, Why, What if and How • Challenges and Barriers to older person’s mobility • Coping with mobility challenges • Effect of policies at city (national) scale in managing mobility concerns of older persons  Interviews with stakeholders in the two cities:  1st with Travel diaries: Older persons Overview of everyday mobility: examine travel pattern and activities for both realised and unrealised travel needs • Role of mobility • Options for mobility,  • Challenges and Barriers,  • Unmet travel needs,  • Changes after 60 2nd: Policy makers Perception on: • Older person’s mobility • Issues and challenges • Policies and policy implementation Recommendations for improvement Questionnaire survey with older persons in the two cities with around 510 responses each in order to understand travel needs and Meeting the Mobility Needs of the Elderly in Selected Cities in Nigeria and Uganda       preferences, laying emphasis on the nature and prevalence of these needs, changes in travel patterns, understanding the factors and variables which influence and shape mobility and mode choice in later life, assessing the potential equality impacts of transport policies. Key Findings 1 From the travel diary, participants recorded a total of 415 completed trips (some of them were return journeys) with an average of 59 trips per week). Of these, the vast majority consisted of a round-trip and travelling times were found to be mostly in the morning, especially between 10am and 12pm, and evening between 4pm to 6pm. Walking was the most used mode of transport for travelling (39%). This finding might be associated with the number of short trips reported. Public transport was the second with 34.7%. Of these, 45% used tricycle, 42% used motorcycle, 7% used taxi and 9 % used buses. The private vehicles were the third transport mode used for travelling (26%).  In terms of travel purpose, apart from going home (29.0%), work trips were found to be the most reported reasons for travelling (29%), Religious activities with 18%, social and leisure activities were found the most reported reasons for travelling (13%). Trips for shopping account for 7%, followed by medical trips (5%).   Gender differences were also recorded: More trips (59%) were completed by older males who travelled more in private cars and taxis (80%, 70%) for work (66%), exercise and socials (57%). This accounted for almost 70% of the trips in Nigeria and 60% in Uganda. This could be because they possessed more driving licenses and had more access to the cars. Additionally, a significant number of them (especially in Uganda) use taxis compared to older females.  Women did more shopping (72%) and medical (71%) trips using public transport [tricycles (72%); buses (78%); motorcycle (63%)], with less access to private vehicles.  Key Findings 2 From the interviews, older persons in Abuja and Kampala reported that transport is needed for needs related to work, access to health, social and religious needs.   While there were several options for mobility including walking, private vehicles, public transportation (motorcycles, Buses, Taxis) modes, most of them had preference for specific modes which depended on age, culture, gender, income level, availability of the mode. For example, those who are on a higher income level had cars and preferred to use them. This was similar in both Abuja and Kampala. However, in Kampala, those who had no access to private vehicles or cannot afford taxis use matatus. In Nigeria most of them preferred to use shared taxis.         Barriers to mobility as highlighted by them include issues relating to affordability, residential location, health impairments, safety and security, discrimination, transport cost (fare) and poor public transport system (e.g., buses remain overcrowded and not easy to access, difficulty to board/ alight). Additionally, they also faced problems in accessing parks and bus stations which also depended on socio-economic characteristics such as gender, income, vehicle ownership etc. Interviews with policy makers Policy makers highlighted the need for strong support from the government as it would seem that there is nothing presently on board. Doing this would involve some form of investment and collaborative work with older persons.  While some private transport companies emphasized that they have and implement policies to support older persons to use their services, most of them maintained that they do it at their convenience. This goes to show that even with them, more policies to encourage strict implementation is needed.  Key Findings 3 The questionnaire confirmed several findings from the workshops, interviews and travel diary. The majority of the participants have unmet travel needs which has been exacerbated by the inability to use the poor public transport services available in the two cities. Additionally, shopping and leisure activities were mostly not undertaken. This shows that providing suitable public transport system will contribute to keeping older persons more active. 1)The participation rate in the survey was 58% males and 48% females and most of them were clustered in the 60-74 age category. 2)In terms of mobility, the action spaces of most older persons were limited to their immediate environment (neighborhoods) and home/residential environment. They are also in most cases able to always access vehicles, although 70% of them don’t drive. 3) For the participants, mobility supported self-care and independence, built mental health, improved flexibility and increased social opportunities and engagement 4) The level of self-care and functional independence showed that most of the older persons could take care of themselves. Over 70% of the older persons could walk around and engage in multiple activities without help or support; 5) Their life course is more related to their basic needs (religious activities, medical, businesses, shopping and visiting friends). 6) Apart from walking, the minibuses (Abuja) and its equivalent (matatu in Kampala) were important modes of transport on which most of the older persons rely to deliver on their mobility needs; 7) Satisfaction across the different areas of transport provision varies across the selected cities. 4% were very dissatisfied with information unavailability, 11% considered route and area coverage as very poor, 13% find it uncomfortable, 12% considered the operators attitude to be very problematic, 13% perceived the existing      transport modes a large inconvenience, 11% were dissatisfied with the safety conditions, 12% with the fare structure [it was indeed costly], 12% with the travel time, and 15% considered the transport system to be very unreliable  Questionnaire survey responses of older person’s mobility and transport needs show a strong preference toward measures to enhance mobility such as adapting existing transport systems to meet their needs, including them planning process, providing special facilities to encourage active mobility and use of public transport and subsidization of transport fares, free health care etc. Next steps Disaggregating the collected data to ensure that the results can speak directly to each city; More robust analytical tools will then be employed to determine nuances and generate more key messages  Generating a series of manuscripts to be published in international referred journals. Create a network of transport professionals and advocates on mobility needs for older persons.  Funding The project was funded by the Volvo Research and Educational Foundation (VREF) to address Mobility and Access in African Cities (EP-2021-MAC-06). The views expressed in this briefing are authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of the governments of Nigeria and Uganda. Investigators Chinebuli Uzondu, Federal University of Technology Owerri Paul Mukwaya, Makerere University Uganda Simon Patrick Obi, GreenLight Initiative Abuja Nigeria Output 1. C Uzondu, P Mukwaya and S Obi 2023.  Mobility and Transport Challenges in later life: Lessons from the lived experiences of older persons in selected African countries (under preparation) 2. C Uzondu, P Mukwaya and S Obi 2023.  Gender differences in older persons’ mobility in Africa- A Case Study of Abuja Nigeria and Kampala Uganda (under preparation) 3. C Uzondu, P Mukwaya and S Obi 2023.  Are older persons′ Mobility and Transport needs considered in Africa?  Results of qualitative studies involving stakeholders in Abuja and Kampala (under preparation) 4. C Uzondu, P Mukwaya and S Obi 2023.   Meeting the mobility needs of the elderly in selected cities in Nigeria and Uganda: Summary Findings Contact Chinebuli Uzondu chinebuli.uzondu@futo.edu.ng; chinebuliuzo@yahoo.com Version 1.3 Date 28 January 2023  

Meeting the Mobility Needs of the Elderly in Selected Cities in Nigeria and Uganda

https://research.edgehill.ac.uk/files/71090788/Summary_findings_Meeting_the_Mobility_Needs_of_the_Elderly_Persons_1_.pdf

Meeting the Mobility Needs of the Elderly in Selected Cities in Nigeria and Uganda

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