Jenny Morris

1
Whats driving policy Governments response to a
new wave of older drivers?
19 July 2007

• Jenny Morris
• Director
• Transport Policy Branch
• Policy and Intergovernmental Relations Division

2
Ageing of the community
Victorian population growth by selected age
groups, 1971, 2001, 2031
Source ABS, DSE VIF 2004
3
Current Victorian licence holders
LICENCES ON ISSUE AS AT 23 JANUARY 2007
400000
350000
300000
250000
Female
200000
LICENCES
Male
150000
100000
50000
0
18-25
26-35
36-45
46-55
56-65
66-75
76-85
86-95
96 and
older
AGE GROUP
Source VicRoads Registration and Licensing
database
4
Why is this an important policy issue for
transport?
Share of Average Daily Trips (Weekday) by Sex,
Age Mode of Travel 1994 to 1999
Source Victorian Activity and Travel Survey,
1994 to 1999
5
Current strategies

• Supporting older drivers to drive safely for
  longer
• Supporting older drivers in transition from
  driving to non-driving
• Making conventional transport more user-friendly
  for older patrons
• Removing barriers and providing incentives for
  innovative approaches and niche services

6
Supporting older drivers to drive safely for
longer

• VicRoads Victorian Older Drivers Handbook and
  Drive safe seminars
• Arrive alive! 2007-2016 safer roads and
  roadsides, safer vehicles, safer road users

7
Driver to non-driver project

• 2003 Parliamentary inquiry into road safety for
  older road users
• Governments Response
• - establish specialist working group
• - develop policy
• - develop a communications strategy in
  conjunction with the Transport Accident
  Commission

8
Driver to non-driverprogress so far

• Literature review of the issues
• Focus group discussions with people in
  independent living centres
• Supportive policy developed
• Mobility Advisor Pilot study

9
Driver to non-driver Mobility Advisor Pilot

• Aims to test the effectiveness of providing
  personalised mobility advice to people who have
  stopped driving or maybe about to particularly
  in reducing social isolation
• Will utilise HACC workers in selected local
  government areas
• Prospective participants to be sourced through
  several possible channels (eg RACV databases,
  health professionals, etc).

10
Driver to non-driver Preliminary findings

• Some older people are ultimately accepting of
  giving up driving (and self regulate) - but
  other responses do occur and many people do not
  plan for this eventuality!
• Fear of falling on PT (especially on trams)
• Information about alternative services is
  important (using appropriate formats and
  language)
• Importance of walking
• More emphasis is needed on mobility planning as
  part of retirement planning generally.

11
Making transport easier to use for all Victorians

• 420 million will spent over ten years to
• Improve public transport accessibility for older
  Victorians and people with mobility and visual
  disabilities
• Deliver free public transport to seniors on
  Sundays
• Continue the TravelSmart (behaviour change)
  program
• Help regional and remote communities use existing
  transport infrastructure better
• Extend and improve cycling and walking options
• Deliver improved taxi services across the state

12
Towards more user-friendly mainstream services

• Stop location, quality and physical accessibility
• Convenient walking distances (to and from stops),
  security and amenity (eg appropriate seating)
  In-vehicle experience (vehicle design, seating,
  travelling and de/acceleration speeds, perceived
  safety)
• Increased awareness of the specific needs of
  older users
• Integration between modes, directness of routes,
  frequency and reliability
• Performance measures that reflect the main issues
  of concern for different user groups

13
Niche services

• Multi-purpose taxi program
• Demand responsive services
• Specialised community transport
• Car-based mobility schemes

14
What else may look forward to?

15
Thank -you