Linking Loyalty Card Data to Public Transport Data to Explore Mobility and Social Exclusion in the Older Population

Abstract

Inequalities in the provision of public transport and the accessibility of both public transport services and key facilities can impact wellbeing and increase social exclusion. This study explores the relationship between the provision of public transport services, mobility and social exclusion by utilising loyalty card transaction data to estimate the activity spaces of the older population in the West Midlands (England) metropolitan area. Bus time table data were used to calculate bus service provision and travel times to retail areas. Regression analyses were then used to quantify the impacts that the provision and efficiency of public transport services have on the area of older cardholders’ activity spaces. The provision of public transport services was found to have a significant impact on the size of these activity spaces, along with several sociodemographic variables, including age, deprivation and health. The results suggested that access to reliable public transport increased the mobility levels of the older population and allowed for a wider range of retail opportunities to be accessed. Inequalities in the provision of public transport could therefore exacerbate the wider social issues that affect some of the most vulnerable groups of the population.