Buses - a lifeline for older people

A report published in December 2013 highlighted the vital importance of bus services to older people in Wales.

'Buses – a lifeline for older people', written for Age Cymru by the Bevan Foundation, draws on the views and experiences of more than 300 people aged 60 and over to paint a vivid picture of the importance of bus services to older people’s independence and wellbeing.

It emphasises how many older people rely on the bus as their only means of reaching essential services, such as hospitals and banks, and how a lack of buses in local areas can leave older people feeling isolated and lonely. Many use buses as their only way of reaching their local community.

With local government spending under pressure across Wales, and direct Welsh Government funding for bus services having been reduced by 22% between 2011/12 and 2013/14, there is a very real threat to the continued existence of many routes across Wales.

The report demonstrates that cuts in bus services would have a devastating impact on the lives and independence of many older people in Wales.

'Buses – a lifeline for older people' makes a number of recommendations for government and other organisations to protect and improve bus services across Wales.