ABSTRACT
Rural transport policy in Ireland, north and south, has been paid little attention in the past by policy makers, with most transport investment taking place in urban areas. But in recent times there has been an acknowledgement that we need to consider the future mobility of those living in rural areas, particularly those older people who are least likely to have access to a car and, therefore, have low levels of relative mobility (Fitzpatrick Associates 2002, 2006; Weir and McCabe 2008; Nutley 2005). The National Rural Transport Survey in Ireland showed that 37 per cent of those aged over 65 in rural parts of Ireland had unmet transport needs (Fitzpatrick Associates 2002, 2006). What is particularly interesting about this group of people living in rural areas is that they are the first older generation to have experienced relatively high levels of car use and car dependency when young, so the adjustment to life without the car may be more difficult. This is particularly true of older men.
