The rush of the rush hour: mobility justice for seniors on public transport in Sydney, Australia

Access to transport for older people is inherently related to the right to lead an independent life and to participate in social and cultural life with dignity. Yet often transport planning strategies prioritise the smooth flow of urban commuters, while people over the age of 60 are at risk of experiencing marginalisation and inequality. In this paper, we consider the mobility patterns of a group of seniors who regularly travel by public transport to Sydney, Australia for more than an hour a day. We argue that geographical perspectives are important for understanding how disincentivising seniors from travelling at rush hour may result in a range of negative health and social outcomes. In this research we consider how seniors in fact may benefit from travelling in rush hour materially, socially, and emotionally. Drawing on the optic of mobility justice we examine the felt intensities of using public transport and the inequalities that manifest in corporeal density. This serves to highlight how agency enables people to go against policy aims to reduce senior travel at peak times and how mobility justice is a useful heuristic to dispute power dynamics in specific transport modes.

Automated summary

Access to transport is vital for older people's independence and social participation. However, transport planning often prioritizes the needs of urban commuters, putting seniors at risk of marginalization and inequality. This paper examines the travel patterns of a group of seniors in Sydney, Australia and argues that disincentivizing them from traveling during peak hours can have negative health and social outcomes. The study suggests that seniors may actually benefit from traveling during rush hour in material, social, and emotional ways.