Guideline for Developing Equal Access for Older Travelers in the Bangkok Public Transportation System

Abstract

The objectives of this research are 1) to investigate the accessibility of the elderly passengers to public transportation in Bangkok, 2) to investigate the issues and requirements of the elderly when using public transportation, and 3) to present a guideline for the development of public transportation systems in Bangkok to ensure that the elderly have equal access.  Mixed research methodology was used, with quantitative data collected from 400 samples, all were members of the Elderly Club. Qualitative data was gathered by in-depth interviews from 4 samples selected from the representatives of government officials with inclusion criteria from those in charge of Bangkok's public transportation policies. The results were that sufficient service officer facilitation, and specific conditional rights were essential for improving physical access to public transportation access. The most urgently needed services included convenient and safe mass transit system connections and enhanced services to boost the elderly’ s confidence. Construction of facilities for elderly users still lacked inter-departmental integration, as the elderly group differs from people with disabilities in advocating government policies. These findings suggested that the government should support the Elderly Club to evolve Bangkok public transport system policy. Furthermore, the government should provide services for the elderly both within the station and in the public areas surrounding it. Also, to ensure that service providers of all forms of mass transit systems in Bangkok are trained to the same quality, training courses for service providers of all types of public transit systems should be developed.