SilverBus: enhancing mobility for seniors through demand responsive transport: a pre-post experimental study.

The increasing trend of population aging has heightened interest in public transport poli-cies that promote active aging. Given the limited availability of public funds, it is crucialto identify best practices and methodologies to guide public policy investments effectively.This study underscores the importance of thorough development, testing, and ex-post vali-dation of hypotheses in transport policymaking for the elderly. The research, which wasbased on the analysis of survey data (250 valid interviews) collected prior to and follow-ing the trial of ‘SilverBus’ – a Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service designed forresidents over the age of 65 in Genoa, Italy – highlights the importance of the trial phase.The findings demonstrate that pre- and post-test analyses are essential to contain publiccosts and enhance service quality. The construction of a logistic regression model furtheraids in identifying significant factors influencing the willingness to use a tailored urbanpublic mobility service dedicated to the over-65 residents. This comprehensive approachensures that transport services are effectively aligned with the actual needs of the elderlypopulation, promoting active aging and efficient use of public resources.