Government Policy on Transport Options Directed towards the Advanced Age

Abstract

Background: Response was noteworthy by both gender and cultural grouping New Zealand Maori and non-Maori to the question of transport options for older people.

Method: Respondents were asked to rate government policy along a scale of very unhappy-to- very happy. These results were then analysed using ordinal logistic regression, Mann Whitney U test and descriptive analysis.

Results: Participants totalled 931 with 421 New Zealand Maori and 510 New Zealand Maori non-Maori.

New Zealand Maori: Within the three age categories (83-86, 87-89 & 90-93) it was New Zealand Maori males aged between 87-89 years followed by 83-86 years who indicated that they were predominantly happy or neither happy/unhappy with government policy. Males aged between 90-93 years were also very happy or had a marginal view of the legislation. For New Zealand Maori females instead a comparable number of those aged between 83-86 years view indicated that they either very happy to being neither happy or unhappy with the policy. Whereas for the next age grouping (87-89 years) their opinion reduced slightly to those who were either happy or neither happy/unhappy. A position similarly held by New Zealand Maori females aged 90 years plus.

New Zealand non-Maori: Both New Zealand non-Maori male and female results demonstrated a similar pattern with them being mainly happy with the legislation, then neither happy or unhappy to being very happy.

Conclusion: Generally it could be said that results from both New Zealand Maori and non-Maori were relatively impartial towards government transport legislation sitting either on the fence or just slightly above.