Brookhuis, Diede (2023) The rural accessibility challenge: how ride-sharing can improve the mobility of rural elderly. Bachelor thesis.
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Abstract
Rural areas more and more rely on the car as a primary mode of transport, while public transport continues to disappear in these areas as it is perceived as inefficient. This can result in social exclusion, especially affecting elderly as they experience more problems with their mobility resulting from an increase in health problems. While the ability to access social services and facilities remains important to the rural elderly as it can promote healthy ageing. This rural accessible challenge calls for a mobility alternative that is socially inclusive, and economically feasible for rural elderly. The literature shows that demand-responsive transport can provide a suitable mobility alternative. However, no research has been done focussing on the rural elderly and exploring the influence of sense of community on ride-sharing initiatives. This research is a case study on the municipality of Dinkelland and focuses on the attitudes of the rural elderly toward ride-sharing initiatives while also providing insight into their current mobility behaviour. Sense of community plays a central role throughout this research and is connected to mobility behaviour and attitude towards ride-sharing initiatives. Sense of community, mobility behaviour and ride-sharing initiatives are topics discussed in in-depth interviews with elderly from the municipality, to provide an answer to the main research question: “How can ride-sharing be a solution to the rural accessibility challenge for the elderly in the municipality of Dinkelland?” The results show that ride-sharing initiatives can be an additional mobility option the for elderly, however, barriers identified by interviewees were: lack of information, punctuality and flexibility. However, rural elderly are open to more neighbourhood/community-based ride-sharing initiatives where a strong sense of community is experienced.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
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| Degree programme: | Human Geography and Planning |
| Supervisor: | Boumans, B.M. |
| Date Deposited: | 27 Jun 2023 11:55 |
| Last Modified: | 27 Jun 2023 11:55 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4194 |
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