The Added Value of an Accessible Public Transport for All in the Context of Demographic Ageing

European transport systems play a key role in the transportation of people and goods, and are essential to Europe's prosperity and most importantly, to achieve a full European citizenship through enhancing freedom of movement. Despite the progress made in recent years in improving accessibility for all, it is estimated that 10-20% of European citizens, including people with disabilities and older people, are still experiencing barriers and reduced accessibility to transportation. These barriers can lead to a lack of opportunities and limited possibilities for employment, social and leisure integration and full participation in society. The demand for accessible transport will increase as a result of the rapid growth in the number and proportion of older persons aged 60 years and above. This presentation aims at explaining what are the views of older people and the need for an accessible public transport for all. It presents the current barriers they still face (financial, scarcity of public transport in rural areas and lack of an accessible built environment, among others). It also offers guiding principles on which public transport should be based: accessibility, safety, affordability, availability, and acceptability. For the covering abstract see ITRD E139491.