Analyzing mobility pattern and transport exclusion of older people in łódź province, Poland using statistical and clustering techniques

Transport is a fundamental need for people of all ages, inseparably associated with independence, autonomy, and quality of life. Since the growing number of senior citizens will have ever more impact on the transport sector, the purpose of the study was to identify the patterns of spatial mobility among the over 60s residing in small towns within the Lodz Province. Their mobility was analyzed regarding the diversity of trip destinations, their frequency, preferred modes of transport, distance travelled, the occurrence and type of spatial mobility constraints, and their opinion of the functioning of public transport. In autumn 2022, a CATI survey was conducted on a representative sample of 500 residents aged 60+ from 31 small towns in the Lodz Province. On this basis, five separate sets of residents with specific transport behavior were identified. The most significant factors influencing daily mobility among the study population were age, gender, type of housing, possession of a driving license, number of cars in the household, and income. Younger senior citizens exhibit greater mobility, which decreases with age. Daily mobility is usually concerned with the fulfilment of common needs and wants – primarily shopping. As a rule, older people from small towns do not use public transport, partly because they are accustomed to using their own cars and partly because they perceive mass transit as either inadequate or inaccessible. However, the study did not prove that the size of a small town affects the patterns of daily mobility among the over 60s. •Research into the daily mobility of the population is a sine qua non for a rational and appropriate transport policy on a local scale.•More than one third of the respondents declare their mobility to be limited, mostly due to deteriorating health.•The over 60s residing in small towns hardly ever use public transport.•Lack of suitable transport alternatives that makes the over 60s reluctant to stop driving, as they identify the car with a sense of autonomy and independence.