A good, reliable urban public transportation and mobility is a great thing for a city to have, but sometimes those who might benefit most from such a system are unable to take full advantage of its benefits. Sometimes the problem is with the system itself; it might be too expensive, too inaccessible or too complicated. Or, as is often the case, older people lack the necessary information and skills that would make them feel more confident about riding public transport, walking or cycling. So they either stay at home or rely on an automobile.

AENEAS cities Krakow, Munich, Odense, Salzburg and Donostia-San Sebastián have all introduced training programmes for older people to address this very issue. Hundreds of seniors in these cities have completed these courses, with the result that the vast majority now feels much more confident and secure in using public transport systems to gain greater mobility in their daily lives. In many cases, the trainings provide a meaningful social setting in which people can make new friends – something that is very difficult to do when confined most of the time to home.

AENEAS is also pleased to announce the 2010 launch of a new database, the ‘Good Practice Exchange Ring’. The searchable database has been developed to allow users to find out all there is to know about urban mobility solutions for older people, based on country, category and mode of transport. Our team keeps on constantly increasing the number of entries, but if you have experiences to share, do go ahead and add your own case study!

The editors: Nathan Johnson and Gabor Heves