Examining senior citizens in public transport: The role of digitalization, environmental concern, and traveler satisfaction

Abstract

Increasing the share of travelers using public transport is one way to address environmental problems such as carbon dioxide emissions. Senior citizens represent an increasingly important group in this transition, as they are increasingly mobile and make up a large share of the population. In this paper, we investigate senior citizen’s mobility decision-making, focusing on public transport. Through a survey of 5,000 people in three metropolitan areas in Sweden, we find that while senior citizens desire to live in harmony with nature, they are less likely to see car traffic as a cause of environmental problems. They also struggle with the development of digital service delivery options of public transport. For instance, they use apps less, and like using timetables on paper and signs at bus stops more than younger public transport users. Even so, they are more satisfied with public transport than younger travelers, indicating that many seniors like using public transport, despite lacking the environmental motivations to do so.