Are public bus services age-friendly?

A new research study aims to find out what helps Hervey Bay residents use public buses and what discourages them from using buses.

The study will focus on developing age-friendly standards for public bus transport. Researchers from the University of Queensland will work with the local bus company and Queensland Transport to see if the standards improve bus transport for older people.

The study is funded by the Australian Research Council and Queensland government departments with research being conducted by the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Queensland and Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia.

Researchers are seeking volunteers who are over 20 years and live in Hervey Bay.
Volunteers need to be users and non-users of public buses and researchers would like to speak to people of all ages.

Participants will be required to take part in a small group discussion, planned from early February 2005 to April 2005, and complete a questionnaire.

The study will begin in Hervey Bay with a similar project planned to survey a region in Brisbane later in the year.

Project team head Associate Professor Linda Worrall said Hervey Bay had been chosen due to an increasing ageing population in the area, a recognised need to make sure local bus services are suitable for older people and enthusiastic support from the local bus company.

“We want to talk with anybody in Hervey Bay who is over 20 years. We want to see if the concerns of older people are the same as younger people. We want the views of people who regularly use buses, infrequently use buses, or never use buses. We particularly want to hear from people over 75 years of age," Associate Professor Worrall said.

If you are interested in being part of the study, contact Susan Chisholm on 07 3346 9881 or mobile 0421 097 587.

Media: For more information, contact contact Elizabeth Savina (mobile: 0410 114 490, email: e.savina@shrs.uq.edu.au) or Associate Professor Linda Worrall (mobile: 0412 130 042, email: l.worrall@uq.edu.au) in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, or University of Queensland Communications (telephone: 07 3365 3367).