12. How can transport operators enable better journeys for older people and those who have a physical or mental health condition, or neurodiversity?
Background
DfT’s ARI identifies 40 broad research questions that reflect areas of strategic importance to the department, where further insight and collaboration could enhance our evidence base, challenge assumptions and strengthen future decision-making. The ARI is organised around four complementary themes, and this question sits within the Improving Journeys for People theme.
Transport plays a central role in people’s everyday lives, shaping how easily, affordably and reliably they can access work, education, public services and social opportunities. Improving journeys for people means putting users at the heart of the transport system, ensuring that journeys are safe, dependable, accessible, affordable and integrated across modes. This reflects the vision set out in Better Connected, which emphasises transport that supports everyday journeys across the country.
For the purposes of these ARIs, improving journeys for people focuses on end to end travel experiences rather than individual services in isolation. Evidence suggests what matters most to users of the transport system is how journeys function as a whole, including the availability and quality of information, perceptions of reliability and safety, affordability and simplicity, and confidence to travel.
People’s journeys are shaped by factors beyond transport infrastructure alone, including housing, land use, employment, digital connectivity and public services. Understanding how these factors interact with transport provision is essential to improving real world journeys, particularly for groups who face greater barriers to travel or are more sensitive to cost, reliability and complexity.
This theme recognises that improving journeys for people requires both day to day operational improvements and longer term system change. The ARIs therefore seek research that deepens understanding of how transport systems shape people’s experiences and behaviour, and that supports more integrated, people centred decision making across different contexts.
Next steps
If you have research relevant to this topic, are planning work in this area, or would like to discuss potential collaboration, please get in touch. For our monitoring and evaluation purposes, we are also keen to hear if the ARI has informed or influenced your research.
To get in touch and report the use, please fill in the form https://submit.forms.service.gov.uk/form/264718/dft-areas-of-research-interest-ari/
Link to DfT ARI: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dft-areas-of-research-interest/areas-of-research-interest-2026
Topics
Research fields
Related UKRI funded projects
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Responsible Automation for Inclusive Mobility (RAIM): Using AI to Develop Future Transport Systems that Meet the Needs of Ageing Populations
To capture the full social and economic benefits of AI, new technologies must be sensitive to the diverse needs of the whole population. This means understanding and reflecting the complexity of individual needs, the var...
Funded by: FIC
Lead research organisation: University of Leeds
Why might this be relevant?
Addresses how transport operators can enable better journeys for older populations and those with health conditions through AI and autonomous vehicles.
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Inclusive and healthy mobility: Understanding trends in concessionary travel in the West Midlands
In this project, we will develop a Data Linkage and Analytics Framework that permits the systematic analysis of new, novel, rich and complex datasets routinely collected by transport authorities for geographically extens...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Why might this be relevant?
Focuses on understanding trends in concessionary travel for older residents and implications for health and well-being in the West Midlands.
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Life Transitions and Travel Behaviour
The aim of the project is to assess how life transitions influence travel behaviour and to identify opportunities from this for policy interventions to achieve desirable transport outcomes. Life transitions (major change...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of the West of England
Why might this be relevant?
The project aims to assess how life transitions influence travel behavior and identify opportunities for policy interventions to achieve desirable transport outcomes, aligning with the question's focus on improving journeys for older people and those with health conditions.