Maintaining Mobility
The Transition From Driver To Non-Driver
The Victorian Government recognises the importance of better understanding the mobility needs of older Victorians particularly as the ageing population continues to grow. There will be many older drivers on our roads in the future but, ultimately, giving up driving is likely to be an issue that will be faced by many people at some stage in their lives.
For many, the prospect of driving less, or not at all, is made all the more stressful because they have little knowledge of transport alternatives and lack the experience to use them. For others the transition from driving to non-driving is anticipated and planned. In these cases familiarity with transport alternatives has been gained over time and these alternatives are used confidently.
Future planning aims to assist these people through this transition by presenting a range options and supportive information.
Framework
The policy framework report Maintaining Mobility: The Transition from Driver to Non-driver has been developed to inform discussion and identify practical actions to help senior Victorians maintain their mobility as they reduce and stop driving.
Please note that these documents are not an authorised policy, strategy or plan of Government. | |
The framework is based on three complementary strategies:
- General Awareness Raising – helping people to think about when they should no longer drive and the alternatives available to them once they reduce or cease driving.
- Providing Specific and Individualised Information – informing older people about alternative transport options, support services and programs, concessions, motorised mobility devices, and public and community transport.
- Providing Supportive Infrastructure and Mobility Services – ensuring that infrastructure and services meet the needs and expectations of older Victorians in terms of their safety and functionality.
A suite of actions has also been identified to progress these general strategies. These actions were developed to address the specific issues and areas of concern identified through this study. The actions are grouped around the following action themes:
- Implementation and monitoring
- Strategic planning and research
- Providing information and raising awareness
- Making existing public transport services (including taxis) more user friendly to older Victorians
- Making urban areas more user friendly for older Victorians who walk, cycle and use motorised mobility devices
- Developing transport and advisory services which are more responsive to older users’ needs
Specialist Working Group
The study giving rise to this report has been undertaken by the Department of Transport with the assistance of a Specialist Working Group comprising of representatives from:
- Council On The Ageing
- Metlink
- Ministerial Advisory Council of Senior Victorians
- Municipal Association of Victoria
- Office of Senior Victorians, Department of Planning and Community Development
- Policy and Communications Division, Department of Transport (Chair)
- Public Transport Division, Department of Transport
- Royal Automobile Club of Victoria
- Transport Accident Commission
- VicRoads
- Victorian Council of Social Service
- Victorian Local Governance Association