Focusing on the mobility of elderly people and families: How well does shared mobility work for them?

Abstract

The study focuses on two previously neglected customer groups for MaaS offerings: families and active elderly, and analyses how their mobility practices as well as needs and constraints fit with selected mobility services - carsharing, ridesharing and micro mobility. The results are derived from a qualitative study conducted in the year 2020 in two German case cities, Berlin and Leipzig. Two mobility perspectives were identified: active maintenance of mobility, i.e., maintaining personal mobility as best as possible as people age; and family mobility, characterized by the impact of responsibilities and coordination tasks related to family members. The two mobility perspectives are described in terms of characteristic mobility practices as well as needs and constraints. Subsequently, how the selected mobility options meet the needs of the customer groups under study were analysed. The selected approach provides a lens to identify weaknesses and requirements for current and future mobility services. For both perspectives, none of the mobility options presented would significantly improve the situation, the reason being the lack of focus of MaaS on the needs of its users. Thus, mobility services in future should be better oriented to the needs of the large customer groups of active elderly people and families.