Low-cost transport improves health for isolated older adults

Choe Sang-Hun reports for the New York Times on the value of low-cost transportation services for older adults in rural counties in South Korea. In these counties, taxis ferry people to town and to doctors’ appointments as far as 20 minutes away. Because of government subsidies, the taxis cost just 100-won or .09 cents. The US offers free transportation to older adults in some communities, but we would be well-served to use South Korea as a model.

When did South Korea begin subsidizing taxi services for rural residents? Beginning in 2013, South Koreans living in one county no longer had bus services. The routes were not busy enough to be worth the government’s investment. So, the buses were canceled.

The county decided that it would pay for all but .09 cents of the cost of a taxi ride for villagers in small hamlets who live too far from a bus stop to make use of a bus. The taxi takes them to local markets and doctors appointments.

In 2020, villagers from 40 villages in Seocheon made use of the taxi service 40,000 times. The total cost to the South Korean government was $147,000. Throughout South Korea, the government subsidized 2.7 million rides.

The taxi service makes a lot of sense: The taxis provide door-to-door service. And, they end up being less costly than a regular bus service. A lot of the rural villages only have a dozen or so houses.

The taxi service also keeps older villagers socially engaged, freeing them of being isolated in their villages. It allows them to get out and about.

The trips are subsidized heavily. The same short taxi ride would otherwise cost 100 times what it now costs the villagers. And, if they want to travel further, they pay just a little more. They can make use of the taxi service whenever they please.

It should be easy for local communities in the US to copy the South Korean model and arrange free or low-cost transportation services for older adults. Some cities offer access-a-ride, which is a start. Contact your local area agency on aging to find out about transportation services for older adults in your community.

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